Exclusive! Kalpika Ganesh: If I didn't shoot for Loser Season 2, I could've become a state-level badminton player

Kalpika Ganesh, who shot to fame with Chandrasekhar Yeleti's Prayanam, is full of questions for her directors. She doesn't take anything at face value and wants to be fully aware of the character trajectory before she takes up a project. In an industry that easily gives labels to its female actors, she had to tone down her forthrightness to find acceptance. A rebel at heart, the Hyderabadi girl took a calculated risk of shunning several mainstream films where she didn't have much to do and found her true calling in indie cinema. 

She's finally entered a phase where her patience and caution are paying off. Be it short films or web shows, the digital medium deserves a fair share of credit for unravelling Kalpika 2.0 to audiences. A big win for her conviction was the opportunity to play Ruby Shabana in the first season of ZEE5's sports drama Loser, a girl whose ambitions to become a badminton player come to a grinding halt owing to personal and professional reasons. A happy, cheery Kalpika transformed into a morose, sad woman with no zest for life effortlessly.

As Loser Season 2 gets ready to premiere on ZEE5 on January 21, the actress in an interview with OTTplay.com reflects on her choices, what worked for her career, what didn't and why Ruby was among the most challenging roles in her career.

What were your ambitions before your acting debut Prayanam happened? What if you didn't enter films?

Films happened to me purely by chance. I guess I was destined to be here. However, my idea was to have a good career in the software industry, get married and manage work simultaneously. I never had real ambitions but I was inclined towards dance, it was my creative pull and it was a dance audition that eventually helped me land my first film. I thought it would be a dance-based film though it turned out they wanted that appearance for the character. I was always an active child, be it dance, sports or art and I didn't mind doing films. If not for films, maybe I would've found another way to pursue my creative interests and may have even started a dance academy!

Longevity is quite difficult to achieve for a character artiste, especially when you know that a new set of actors are inching to replace you every few years. You've survived a little more than a decade here despite being very choosy about your work...

It's a tricky space, yes and honestly, it has been a rollercoaster ride. It wasn't easy at all. I have been tremendously patient all along. Luckily for me, there was no pressure of earning my bread and butter through it. Even in the limited roles I chose, I was hopeful that they would open several doors for me but unfortunately for female actors, the weightage that we get for our roles is very little in Telugu. We're probably getting better with the way we write our female roles and the fact that I got Ruby Shabana in Loser is an indicator of it. Somewhere, all the caution that I exercised in waiting for the right project helped me get Ruby. After this, I need to be even more responsible and select my scripts wisely. 

Especially in the phase after Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu, where you were popular, you could've comfortably played the quintessential friend characters or sidekicks in mainstream films, which would've also earned you fame and paid your bills. Yet, you chose to cut down on your work because you weren't satisfied with what you were getting...

I thought if I wasn't getting what I wanted in front of the camera, why don't I work behind it? Many actors, after reaching a particular stage in their careers, don't do short films, but I took them up because they were technically as good as feature films and also offered me an opportunity to play newer characters. I assisted Prasanth Varma for a few ads too. I don't know if my interest lies in direction though I was curious about what went behind the camera. The inputs have made a huge impact on my approach to acting. 

I started taking myself and my career seriously after Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu. I worked in a handful of independent films but unfortunately, most of them couldn't see the light of the day. Sita on the Road, which released on ZEE5, satiated my thirst for good roles. I need to credit my family and friends who believed in me all along and encouraged me to pursue my path, be patient for good work. I didn't unnecessarily pressurise myself about my career. However, I think a few aspects could've been handled better if someone from the industry had guided me.

Don't you think the Telugu industry does a shoddy job with portraying women and it's as if they exist only in black and white shades? Either she's a tomboy, riding a bike, smoking a cigar or a housewife who keeps cutting vegetables or offers coffee to other characters.

If you think of it, characters of both extremes do exist in real life. Some women are rebels, modern in their outlook towards relationships, while some housewives are limited to domestic chores. The filmmakers add additional traits and exaggerate the character so that they're established more clearly. And about finding that middle ground, it's an issue we can't ignore. We need to write female characters that have their shades of grey and don't belong to either of the extremes. I hope the change will set in soon.

Ruby, in Loser, is one character who's gone through a lot in life and yet is not so vocal about it. The dialogues are far, few and between and she needs to express more through her eyes and her face. Was it one of your most challenging roles to play in your career?

In the past, I was either this tomboyish girl or a sidekick, but in Loser, I had to convey my feelings through expressions. I did ask the director Abhilash Reddy why he had cast me for the role and he told me that my eyes somewhere conveyed the emotion that Ruby was going through. He wanted my eyes to speak. I am generally very chirpy and enthusiastic on sets. In the case of Loser, even if anyone was cracking a joke on the set, I had to distance myself from them and constantly reminded myself that I was Ruby. 

It took me at least a couple of hours to get ready with my makeup and attire. Once I was in the attire, there was a sadness and an emptiness that organically crept into me. I was very moody on sets and I must thank my team for understanding my challenges in playing Ruby. I had to be very restrained, guard my emotions. Loser Season 2 will have Ruby fighting back and has more to offer as a character.

In an earlier event, you had said that a lot of research went into both seasons of Loser. You had also mentioned many filmmakers use sports as a backdrop but don't delve into the nuances properly. What does Loser do differently?

Air rifle shooting is a sport that not many industries have even touched upon. Abhilash was inspired to write Suri's character noticing a friend who couldn't progress in the field because it was too expensive for him to afford guns. The team had a deep understanding of issues within a sportsperson's family, the boards. It wasn't simply about coming to set, playing the role and going back home. Abhilash was particular about us knowing even the smallest of nuances unique to their lives. For Ruby, I underwent coaching at Chetan Anand's badminton academy. If not for the shoot of the second season, I was so well trained that I could've given a shot at playing the sport on a state level. Badminton was a stress buster for the entire team in the middle of the shoot. Post COVID-19, this was our only relief and also helped us stay in the zone of the show. 

Did you observe Chetan Anand, in particular, to get the role of a badminton coach right?

There are two academies that Chetan Anand runs and he wasn't in the academy where I got trained. Even when my coaching session was over, I stayed back at the academy to see how his sub-coaches trained kids and observed their drills, body language, how they dealt with students. I saw the way they picked up the shuttle and used badminton-specific jargon, which all eventually contributed to the authenticity of my performance.

What about Ruby changes in Loser Season 2?

In this season, you'll see Ruby bouncing back and fighting her battles head-on, without giving up easily. She is fighting back with her pride, dignity and respect. Particularly with her husband, who reduces her to an object of physical pleasure, Ruby showcases her resilient side and that she deserves respect as a human too. Ruby turns a coach to help someone else accomplish their dreams even if she couldn't do it. She is getting back to the sport after a sabbatical and needs to go through several challenges in convincing people about her worth.

How did the 'Loser' experience change your perspective about sports or sportspersons or did it change at all?

Though I've been a sportive person all my life, I never took it upon myself to master any sport. Sports was for fun and I played out of interest. With Loser, I didn't want any dupe to do my shots and wanted to be ready for anything Abhilash asked me to do. And whenever you're taking up a new sport, I realised that one must make progress gradually and cautiously, lest we may end up injuring ourselves. I had to strike a balance between knowing the sport and emoting well for the situation; no character has presented such an opportunity to learn that to date. 

Sports, beyond an age, is a tool we use to divert ourselves from the chaos called life, gives you joy and helps you regain your focus in your profession. I had to push myself, go on time for prep, drills. I felt like a kid training for Loser Season 2 again. The experience helped me get back the discipline and focus I needed generally in my life.

Like Ruby in the show, the main conflict point for most women, regardless of their profession, is between career and marriage. A lot of dreams continue to vanish into thin air because of our conservativeness as a society...

Yes, it's still a struggle for women to get past that conflict. Deepika Padukone, for instance, had complete access to badminton and could've ruled the roost if she was a sportswoman, but chose to take up a career in films and has succeeded big time in it. One can't generalise it always and the situation may vary from family to family. 

In a practical scenario, a woman should set a deadline, give it everything to achieve her ambition. If she doesn't get her act right, she could go by her parent's choice. It wasn't any different for me while pursuing a career in acting too. I had to fight my battles to be where I am today. It's all about the passion you have for your chosen line. Who better than Sania Mirza, Saina Nehwal or Sindhu to prove that? In the future, when society stops blindly trusting in an institution called marriage (which has already begun), the equations may change.