After an admirable performance as a cat burglar in ‘Isha’, one of the short films in the movie 5 Sundarikal , a romantic anthology, danseuse and actress Isha Sharvani is back in Iyobinte Pusthakam , her second outing in Mollywood. The lithesome actor is playing Martha in this period movie by Amal Neerad that has been set in Vagamon.
“The movie is a historical and emotional drama. It is also a love story. There are so many threads to the story that it is a multi-layered one. Martha is a simple character. I have a deglamourised look in the movie – without any make up, not even mascara. I have just three changes of clothes in the film,” says Isha.
The shoot in Vagamon, she says, was relaxing. “Two months without Internet and at times without any mobile connection, I felt so cut off from today’s society, especially since we were shooting a period film. It really felt as if I were in the 1920s. The locations were breathtaking and by the end of the shoot, I had become very attached to my hotel room; it felt like my second home.”
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Although a fan of Fahaadh Faasil and his genre of films, Isha couldn’t afford a ‘fan’ moment with him. “With so much money on the line, I could be nothing but professional from day one; I can’t be awe-struck and tongue tied when the camera is reeling. But I did manage to learn from him. I have been lucky that way; I have managed to work with talented actors in all my movies, be it Farhaan Akthar, Vikram or Nivin Pauly. As I did not have the fortune of attending film school, I learn by observing their style in front of the camera and by picking their brains.”
So from Kisna: The Warrior Poet to Iyobinte Pusthakam , has she evolved as an actor? “I think so. I was 19 when I started out. I think the maturity translates on screen and lends depth to the characters.”
The nine-film-old actor is back from a six-week stint in Finland, where she taught yoga at the University of the Arts Helsinki.
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“As I like sharpening my skills, I learnt classical ballet and western contemporary at the University.”
Asked if she wants to be known as a dancer or as an actor, she replies: “I want to be known as an artiste who has experimented with various styles be it dance or cinema and has done a good body of work. I have done pure classical dance numbers to rock n’ roll dance pieces. I have also tried commercials and off beat movies. I want to continue to grow as an artiste.”
So, will viewers see her dance in Iyobinte Pusthakam ? “No, I don’t have a dance sequence in the movie. In fact, I haven’t had a chance to display my dance skills in most of my movies, which is in a way a good thing. It means the filmmakers have faith in my acting abilities.”
Busy preparing for various dance shows, Isha is also simultaneously shooting for Lijo Jose Pelliserry’s Double Barrel . “It’s an ensemble cast. The first schedule of shoot is over. The movie should be out soon.”