Hope is a film that explores why officials find it difficult to work for the betterment of society: Shwetha Srivatsav

Shwetha Srivatsav is in a happy space; after a fairly long break, which not only included the pandemic, but also the time she took off from films while she embraced motherhood, she is not only back doing what she loves – acting – but also gearing up for her first release in nearly seven years. “Hope is my comeback film. I play a KAS officer in the film, which has quite a serious subject. I am very excited about this film because for me, as an artiste, it was an extremely fulfilling and challenging role. The film, directed by Ambarisha, is about a woman’s struggle to get into the administrative service. Ultimately, when she cracks it and decides to work for the betterment of society, the system does not allow her to. The film explores why bureaucrats often have their hands tied and are not able to work honestly and why they are randomly transferred to other cities before they can even attempt to do any good on the job. Honestly, after doing the film, I felt like I had actually prepared and sat for the UPSC exam. That’s the amount of preparation that went into getting everything right for the story,” explains Shwetha.

The film, unfortunately, is one of 5-6 Kannada movies that will hit theatres next Friday. At a time, when it is difficult to draw audiences to theatres, this abundance of films is an issue. “I understand that people are a bit hesitant to come to theatres since the pandemic. But I strongly believe that audiences will come if there is an artiste they would want to see onscreen and if there is a good story to boot. Every film is made for a particular target audience. Much as I would love to say that Hope is a must-watch for youngsters, I know that I can’t promote my film in colleges and show them a serious trailer. But at the same time, when we are holding up a mirror to how society is today and the things that are happening around us, it is the youth that needs to see and react to it, because their future depends on it,” she explains.

“Next month, I have the release of Raghavendra Stores, my film with Jaggesh sir. The teaser, interestingly does not feature me and that is because the plan was to have me as the surprise element in the film. The makers had no intention of announcing that I was a part of the film, but, of course, since we were shooting in outdoor locations, the news was leaked and splashed across multiple media platforms. Subsequently, director Santhosh Ananddram told me to confirm the fact that I am a part of the film, but to reveal nothing else. There could not be a mention of what my role was like or my look in the film. All will be revealed when the film releases in theatres on August 5,” says Shwetha.

One film that the actress is proud of is Ckikkiya Mooguthi, directed by Devika Janitri. “It’s an art-house film; I don’t think I have worked on any project as hard as I have on this film. It is quite a strong subject, set in a village, based on the save the girl child initiative. I shot for this film for about 50 days, which were the most exhausting ever, physically and mentally, because of the depth of the character. I am very happy with how the film has turned out,” she says.

Shwetha adds that she has also done a couple of hardcore commercial movies, which are yet to be announced officially by the teams. “So, I guess I am lucky that in my comeback phase, I have got a good mix of films. At my age and stage in my career, getting such diverse roles is a rarity, but I have been lucky that filmmakers are coming to me with different characters. I am doing romantic movies, as well as hard-hitting subjects. Now, all that remains is to see whether audiences will accept me in these avatars,” quips Shwetha.

While she has now done a handful of Kannada films in this second phase of her career, Shwetha tells us that she is looking at diversifying her portfolio with work in other industries too. “In the last few months, I have been busy with shoots and promotional work for my films and began to feel guilty about not spending quality time with my daughter. I think I need some more time before I begin to actively look for opportunities in other industries. In the meantime, I have okayed three other Kannada projects, which will take me at least another year to finish. So, things look good and I am happy,” she signs off.