She can reel off a long list of injuries she is nursing, courtesy her work. But Karthika Nair is ecstatic when she speaks over the phone from Mumbai about her role in a new serial. The tough girl act is for her maiden television series, Aarambh , set to go on air on June 24 on Star Plus.
For Karthika, the leading lady of movies such as Ko , Makaramanju , and Kammath & Kammath , it is perhaps one of the biggest projects of her career. The series, directed by filmmaker Goldie Behl and written by K.V. Vijayendra Prasad, scenarist of Baahubali — The Beginning and Baahubali — The Conclusion , and Bajrangi Bhaijaan, has already piqued viewers’ interest with its promos and teasers.
Karthika brushes aside rumours that the series is a spin-off from Baahubali. “The only common factors are Devasena and Vijayendra sir. Devasena, my character, is the name of Anushka Shetty’s character in Baahubali and the serial has been written by Vijayendra sir.”
Story of invasion
Aarambh is about two civilisations —the Dravidians and the Aryans. Since the Dravidians have a matriarchal and matrilineal society, when the queen dies, the throne passes on to the princess. “Devasena is next in line to the throne. But she is not looking forward to it because once she ascends the throne, her father becomes her subject and she can’t call him ‘Appa’,” Karthika explains. Her kingdom is in conflict with Aryans, which has a patriarchal society led by Varun Dev. Rajneesh Duggal, actor, model and former Mr India, is Varun Dev.
Karthika Nair
Karthika, daughter of yesteryear actor Radha, admits that was apprehensive about the project. “I had rejected it initially. We are used to seeing daily soaps that just go on and on. If you are playing a lead character, you have to give dates in bulk and you don’t know for how long. And often television artistes get stereotyped. Also, I haven’t done any work in Hindi. Although I have grown up in Mumbai, I have never tried to get work in Bollywood. Even in the South, I have been choosy about the films I do and most of the roles have come to me instead of my asking for them,” says Karthika.
So she was not keen about taking up the project until she read the story. “It was hard to say no! The series was originally planned as a movie. But the scale was so vast that the makers decided to make it as a finite series. I couldn’t have asked for more,” she says.
Training for the role
However, playing Devasena has been no cake-walk. Being a warrior princess, she had to be in the thick of action. In one of the promos, she is seen standing on the trunk of an elephant. “That is a real elephant! I had to learn horse riding, sword fighting and what not...,” says Karthika with a chuckle.
Devasena’s costumes, jewellery and accessories too are being talked about. “They have been designed in such a way that they don’t hinder my action sequences. But everything will be colourful and it will be a grand spectacle,” she says.
She is equally excited about sharing screen space with many celebrated artistes, especially veteran Tanuja, making her television debut. “She plays the priestess guiding Devasena. She is sweet and a firecracker on the sets.”
One aspect that she still hasn’t figured out is why she was chosen for the role. “First I thought it is because of Vijayendra sir — I had my debut in Telugu and he knew mom. But apparently he had no idea. When I asked Goldie sir, he said, ‘I googled and found you!’ My assumption is that they wanted a new face, but someone who has done movies as well. Dravidian civilisation is attributed to South India and so they may have wanted a South Indian actor. Also, they wanted somebody who knew Hindi and lives in Mumbai. Whatever the reason, right now I am super excited as it goes on air just a few days before my birthday!” she says.
Aarambh will be aired on Star Plus on weekends at 9 pm.
