The tall, slim girl with the girl-next-door looks is Rukshar, whose debut film Maaya Chitram is releasing in the last week of January. The actor is in town to promote the thriller.
The London-born, Goa-bred girl moved to Bangalore for higher studies but eventually veered towards modelling. She recollects, “When I was in college I would get offers to walk the ramp and also act; people would ask me why I am not taking it seriously. My career in acting started as a hobby and I wanted to complete my education. I was keen on acting in Kannada films as well but that would keep me away for one and a half month from college which was not possible. Maaya Chitram fell in place when the college closed for a one month vacation. The dates were feasible and the story was good. It was a heroine-oriented script.”
Rukshar was given a narration of the script on the phone and she remembers asking plenty of questions before going ahead with the shoot. Though she stood second at the Bangalore beauty pageant and did a lot of ramp shows, she initially found it a bit tough at the film shoot. When we watch a movie we all look good but when you are a part of it, you know how hard it is. The shoot was very hectic and it was shot in the night. The bungalow was in Indaram and away from the city. I took it as a challenge. After the first film I realised this is what I wanted to do.”
Maaya means illusion and the horror cum suspense thriller film was shot in green mat and blue mat as much as they shot in Indaram. There is a lot of CG and graphics work for around 27 minutes.
This is director Raaj Vinay's first independent movie and he also plays the hero in it. In the film he is an ecologist and Rukshar is seen accompanying him on a survey of a building in Indaram. The actor adds, “We go there because some issues have been reported. The film is about why we go there and how we get to the building. Every ten minutes something or other comes up. There is very little romance and more of suspense.”
