Ranjani Raghavan – When I gave up TV, the question was whether my next step should be for me or my audience

Ranjani Raghavan is very popular owing to her stints on two hit daily series – Puttagowri Maduve and, more recently, Kannadathi. Since the latter wound up, Ranjani has not taken up fresh work on the small screen, saying that her focus is on finding a foothold in cinema. The actress, though, is very aware of her limitations and that she may not be able to carry off certain roles, like, for instance, a supremely glamourous character. It’s a learning she’s had through trial and error – she’s been there done that and realized it doesn’t work for her. Ranjani made this revelation recently during a podcast conversation with former RJ Rapid Rashmi.

Speaking on the show, Ranjani, whose latest film, Night Curfew is currently in theatres and is awaiting her next, Kangaroo on May 3, spoke about how the question for her, after she gave up TV, was whether her next step should be to satisfy her creative urge or if it ought to be something that her audiences wanted. “Just because I was continuously doing serials for a while, should I take up the next project coming my way to remain active? Or should I do something that will help me grow as an artiste and an individual? These were the questions on my mind at the time,” she said.

Ranjani Raghavan - Night Curfew excited me for its story and that I got to act with Malashree ma’am 

The actress candidly admitted that she was not keen to work within the fixed framework of daily serials. “They have a certain template and are meant for a specific audience. Working on a daily soap is not difficult, irrespective of the character. There is no scope to really explore anything new,” she said. However, the actress was quick to add that she was able to do things differently on her last show, Kannadathi, where she was not bound by rules on her spoken and body language, etc.

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Ranjani also spoke about how despite the overwhelming urge to be seen as a versatile actress who can do any role and pull off any look, she has realized it is not for her. The actress says that she is aware of her strengths and is looking at focusing only on that. She doesn’t want to try her hand at something that will be half-hearted.