Vidyapati’s Malaika Vasupal: I cried my heart out after the muhurtha of Upadhyaksha
Malaika Vasupal made the transition from TV to cinema with Upadhyakha, and is now prepping for the release of her next, Vidyapati.
Last Updated: 09.50 PM, Apr 03, 2025
Malaika Vasupal endeared herself to Kannada audiences as the leading lady of the TV serial Hitler Kalyana , which she then followed up with a big screen outing in which she was paired with comedian Chikkanna. The film, Upadhyaksha, was one of the few hits of 2024, but the announcement of Malaika being the heroine of the film did not go well.
Malaika about the reception to the Upadhyaksha casting announcement
During a recent interview for her second film, Vidyapati, which releases in theatres on April 10, Malaika recounted the time when she was flooded with messages wondering why she’d choose to debut with a movie opposite Chikkanna. After the muhurtha of Upadhyaksha, Malaika says she received so many messages telling her that she ought to have chosen better and debuted with a star instead, among others.
Also read: 5 must-watch Kannada comedies on OTT – Upadhyaksha to Hostel Hudugaru Bekagiddare and more
Such were the messages that Malaika was literally in tears. The actress says that she cried her heart out after the muhurtha of Upadhyaksha and was wondering if these supposed well-wishers actually meant well. Malaika says that she decided to stick by her decision to go ahead with the film after a chat with her mother, who told her that the only things that mattered were whether the story and her character were good, which they were. But in the months leading up to the release of Upadhyaksha she felt tortured, adding that relief came only after it hit theatres and became a hit.
Even though Chikkanna is one of the most popular comedians in Kannada cinema, Upadhyaksha was his debut as leading man as well, which is why netizens thought Malaika should have chosen better. The actress adds that since transitioning to the big screen, her priorities have been story, banner and crew and only then the cast. Her logic, she says, is that if the story and the banner backing it is good, the rest will also fall in place.