Bad Girl actor Anjali Sivaraman: Playing Ramya felt cathartic, it’s a film that will make you feel seen | EXCLUSIVE

Anjali Sivaraman on Bad Girl: The Sept 5 Tamil release is a cathartic, women-led film about Ramya’s journey. Anjali calls the title ironic and hopes it sparks empathy and fresh perspectives

Anjali Sivaraman

For actor Anjali Sivaraman, it has been a roller coaster ride for the past few days that she says it feels good, just ahead of Bad Girl release. The drama will hit theatres on September 5 and Anjali says that it is her first time experiencing the release frenzy, making her overwhelmed but on a good note.

Bad Girl, which had made quite a noise ever since its teaser release, and NETPAC win at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam, is a coming-of-age drama about a girl named Ramya, who faces the brunt of patriarchy world around her as she tries to navigate life through chaos and her own aspirations. Anjali says about how from the screenings so far, she has been flooded with positive messages and this includes from boys as well. “It has been a rewarding experience and I can’t wait to know what others feel about the film.”

Anjali Sivaraman interview for Bad Girl

An air force kid, Anjali’s childhood has pretty much involved a lot of travelling and it reflected in the language she thinks as well. From an English-speaking household settled in Bangalore, to working in a Tamil film for the first time, Anjali says working in Bad Girl made her reconnect with her Tamil roots. “When my mom (singer Chitra Iyer) watched the film, she was laughing and crying because for her it was watching her own childhood. She started her career in Tamil industry, and it was becoming a full circle moment there,” Anjali says.

Talking about the title of Bad Girl, the actor says, “It is more ironic title than literal title. Even in the moments in the film, someone who is traditionally rooted, and be to societal expectations will still be labelled bad girl. I think that is the point. Anything we do, we will be labelled a bad girl. In a lot of ways, this movie was cathartic because there are many experiences for women from all walks of life would have experienced what we have shown in the film. It makes you feel seen.”

Anjali says that being a woman is not just a “two-dimensional thing”. “We are layered people, we have desires, feelings and emotions, that make us who we are. That is the kind of message this film drives home,” she adds.

Also read: Bad Girl director Varsha Bharath Interview: 'Everybody should be critical of their own surroundings at one point'

While we are still in the era where women have to gain a status where they can headline a film while it is not the case with debutant male actors, Anjali who gets to shoulder a film in her early years, says, “I would love to be diplomatic and say I don’t see any disparity. But in the culture, we live in, men do lead films a lot more than women do. They do have larger pull into cinemas, and it has been a long fight for us to do the same. It is scary to lead a film and not know what the outcome would be, but at the same time, it is important to shift our gaze from that and just tell more stories about women from our perspective. It is really a privilege to have gotten this chance.” That being said Anjali says watching Bad Girl was an ‘out of body and bizarre experience’ given the film had her face in every frame.

So, what were her lived experiences that she channelled into portraying Ramya? Anjali recalls her school time when she was bullied, which alienated her from rest of the class and result her in constant day-dreaming. “I dreamt out so much about my goals and dreams, like travelling and being an actor. I think I was also indirectly manifesting. It is also a great escape when your reality is not so positive. So, Ramya as little girl in school who is discovering herself and develops a crush, she daydreams about her future as an adult.”

I have always considered myself as a girl’s girl

As Anjali says that actors lay bare and vulnerable onscreen, it is important to have a support system, in this case a women-led crew, with Varsha Bharath at the helm of Bad Girl. “What drew me to this project is that it is female-driven story, a woman director, and when I came on sets, I saw a lot of women in crew positions. It was really heart-warming,” she says. Anjali also breaks the myth that women don’t work efficiently together, as she continues, “I feel that we worked very efficiently together and managed to create something incredible. I have always considered myself as a girl’s girl and women supporting women can be stronger than anything being told. We were a strong unit.”

Also read: Bad Girl teaser OUT: Varsha Bharath’s film competing at IFFR tells coming-of-age story of teenage girl battling societal norms

But at the same time, Anjali also does not fail to mention the men of the team. “We might fail to recognise that section of men who want their female counterpart to succeed. From Vetrimaaran sir, Anurag Kashyap sir, executive producer Vikram who has been the backbone of the project, and our two DOPs, actors like Hridhu, Sashank, have also been integral part of Bad Girl.”

Bad Girl, which had premiered at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam and other festivals, and Anjali says that the reception and recognition received there had boosted the initial confidence of the team. “A lot of people in the audience were not only Indians, but other nationalities as well. The great thing was that people resonated in parts we had wanted them to. It showed us that we were not delusional but had a universal story. All of our shows were also sold out and we had extra screenings too. Hope the same love is shown here as well.”

In all fairness, Bad Girl had also courted some controversy as much as it has been getting the love. “We were in a little bubble for a while because we had been running around for the festival, but we had the time to sit down, and hear what people had to say. In my personal opinion, it is just a trailer and the world has been into hate for a while. I am very proud of this project, and I believe that the message it has, is beautiful like self-love and respect. I did not pay heed to comments coming my way, and it is a classic case of judging book by its cover. The film has so much more to say than the trailer. I hope once people watch it, they will have change in opinion.”

Anjali concludes the conversation by saying that watching the film had help her empathise with her own mother. “I was able to understand about her feelings and introspect my pattern and what I could change. Women in society in general, are always labelled as mothers and caretakers more than as individuals with own desires. That is where we go wrong, rather than seeing her as person of her own.”

FAQs

Q. Did Bad Girl Tamil movie release?

A. Bad Girl will release in theatres on September 5.

Q. Where can I watch Bad Girl?

A. You can watch Bad Girl in theatres on September 5.

Q. Who is Varsha Bharath?

A. Varsha Bharath is director of upcoming film Bad Girl. She is former assistant of Vetrimaaran.

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