Exclusive! Thanks to Badava Rascal, I am no longer seen as the girl who ditches the hero: Amrutha Iyengar

When we caught up with Amrutha Iyengar last night, the actress was on her way home after a full day of promotional interviews for her film Badava Rascal, which, after a successful theatrical run, is available to stream on Voot Select from January 26. The sport that she is, she quickly hopped into the nearest café on the way to have this conversation with OTTplay and talk at length about the film that’s special to her.

Watch the full video here: 

Badava Rascal, according to Amrutha, is a film that she agreed to be a part of without even a script narration. “I believe in Dhananjaya; he’s been in the industry for about a decade and if he’s producing a film, I knew that the script would be good. When I met director Shankar Guru, he had specifically spoken to me about one particular scene in the film (a hair cut) and how it’s something that a lot of heroines would not do. But then I thought that this role would be a refreshing change for me, because I have been known to play characters who end up ditching the hero. I also thought that the role of Sangeetha was beautifully written by Shankar. What stood out most was that cinematographer Preetha (Jayaram) ma’am was adamant that I had to be on set without makeup. I was a little sceptical, because I was playing a politician’s daughter and didn’t necessarily have to be deglam. But Preetha ma’am asked me to trust her judgement and now, having seen the film on the big screen, I think it has worked out fantastically well,” says Amrutha.

The response to the film has been beyond their wildest dreams, she adds. “Badava Rascal is a dream that this team has carried around for over two years. Before the release, when the songs came out and people appreciated them, it was heart-warming for us. When the film finally released, we knew it would reach a certain set of audience, but the response we got was way beyond our expectations. During the promotions of the film and after its release, it really felt as if audiences had taken ownership of Badava Rascal, which was truly overwhelming. And for me, as an actress who has been in the industry only for about 3-4 years, getting to experience such success so soon is special and something that I will cherish,” says the actress, adding, “We’ve been across Karnataka on theatre visits and just seeing houseful shows and people genuinely enjoying the content we’ve presented is an experience I will not forget.”

One thing that changed for Amrutha, since the film’s release, is that she is no longer the girl who ditches the hero (Popcorn Monkey Tiger and Love Mocktail). “That image changed, but only by the second half of Badava Rascal. Until then, everyone thought it would be a repeat from my earlier two films and that the team cast me for the same reason. After the film released, social media was full with messages like, ‘Badavana kai hidida Amrutha’,” she says and adds, “Today, every heroine worth her salt, both in Kannada cinema and other languages, wants to work with Dhananjaya, and here I am having done two, one of which is his debut as a producer. It’s an absolute honour to have worked with him; he’s an institution by himself and working with him has been nothing short of educational, be it in approaching a role, or getting certain mannerisms right, etc., he has an opinion on everything.”

But how was the team morale during the release time because the third wave of the pandemic hit shortly after. “In the first few days after the release, the response was so good, with housefull shows at most centres. In fact, even our friends and families could not get tickets to watch the film. And then, just as soon, Covid cases began rising again and the government announced night and weekend curfews. This was a big damper, because most of our target audience was more likely to watch the film over the weekend, or, at least at a late evening show. Having said that, I am still glad that the film reached as many people as it could during its 25-day run in theatres. In a situation like this, expecting too much is not right, but we are happy that the film will now be available to people who could not watch it in theatres, when it starts streaming on Voot Select tomorrow. This is a film that most people can connect to, be it the elements of friendship, romance, etc. Watch it and enjoy it,” she signs off.