Exclusive! Anusha Ranganath: 10 is a film that will make people sit up and take note of me

The leading lady of this week’s Kannada release, 10, is Anusha, the older, but relatively lesser known of the Ranganath siblings. Anusha’s sister Ashika is the more popular name in Sandalwood, something the former is acutely aware of, but there’s no hard feeling, whatsoever. “I think a lot of people in the Kannada film industry are not even aware of me and that I am also looking at being an active part of movies. So far, my work has not been projected well, which, I am hopeful will change, once more people see me onscreen and what I bring to the table,” she reasons, adding, “Today, Ashika is doing well because of her hard work. I don’t see her popularity as a hindrance to me finding my space in Kannada films.”

Anusha, whose first tryst with showbiz came with the TV show Gokuladalli Seethe, after which she did films like Great Story of Sodabuddi and Kaurava 2, considers 10 a film that will give her a good break. “In the time since 10, I have had narrations and even auditioned for some roles, but I have to be honest that I didn’t really have my heart in those roles. Not only was there no content really, but I also could not see why any of those roles would need me. If I did them, I would not be adding any value to the film or to my career. I also need to enjoy what I am doing. Right now, I am happy where I am and believe that if filmmakers see and appreciate my potential it won’t be long before good films come to me. 10, I think, will be one such film that will make people sit up and take note,” she says.

10, says Anusha, is her first collaboration with producer Pushkara Mallikarjunaiah, although she did try to be a part of one of his earlier projects. “Back when Pushkara was involved with the making of 777 Charlie, right at the onset, I had auditioned for the role that eventually went to Sangeetha Sringeri. Although that did not work out, Pushkara had told me that the team had really liked my performance during the audition and when I didn’t make the cut, he promised to keep me in mind for his upcoming projects. When 10 came up, he asked me to meet director Karm Chawla for a narration, after which the team thought it best to have me audition with Vinay Rajkumar, which I cleared and that’s how I got to be Shruthi in the film,” she says.

While Vinay spent close to six months preparing for his role, given that he plays a featherweight boxer, Anusha had to attend workshops with the team closer to the actual shoot. “There were extensive workshops and rehearsals for my scenes with Vinay, which, in a way, helped us wind up actual production in less than three months. During the workshops, Karm was clear that he did not want our performances to come across as acting, it had to be natural and not forced. In my case, there was some unlearning too, because I come from a TV background, where everything tends to be louder and more pronounced. I had to master the art of subtility. We shot the film at the end of 2019 and by the time we went into post-production, the pandemic struck. Subsequently, the production house got busy with some other projects, like Bheemasena Nalamaharaja and Avatara Purusha and now it is time for 10,” she says.

The film, no doubt, revolves round Vinay’s character, Vijay, but Anusha and Gopalkrishna Deshpande are pivotal to his journey, she explains. “Shruthi is a bank employee, who becomes a guiding force in Vijay’s life. She is emotionally strong, something that she draws from her life experiences. The character provides a value add to the narrative, which is what I found most appealing,” says Anusha, adding, “There are certain traits of Shruthi that resonated with me and made it easier to get into the skin of the character, like, for instance, her simplicity and middle-class upbringing, among others.”

Meeting Vinay for the first time was a pleasant surprise, she reminisces. “Considering his lineage and the star power that comes from being a part of the Rajkumar family, there was an image of him that I had in mind, but then when we met for the workshops, I saw this simple, well-spoken and extremely humble man, who made it extremely comfortable for me to work with him,” she says.

On a parting note, Anusha tells us that although 10 is releasing in a week that has Avatar 2 in theatres, it is still worth a trip to the movie halls. “It’s a raw film about a boxer, and the trials and tribulations he has in his journey. It’s not a routine underdog tale, where you know how the narrative will pan out and that, I believe, is the film’s biggest strength,” she signs off.