Exclusive! At the core, all my Kannada films are love stories; but what goes around them is different: Rachel David

When Love Mocktail 2 came out, one of the surprise packages of the Darling Krishna film was Rachel David’s Sihi. The actress has often spoken about how overwhelmed she was at the love and appreciation she got from Kannada film audiences after the release, given that her role in the film was a top secret until then. In the time since, she’s been signed up for at least three other films in Sandalwood, and has one each in Tamil and Malayalam, beside being in talks for a few more.

It's a happy space, she says, adding that each of her films are vastly different. “Countrymade, in which I am paired with Nischith, should have been my second film, although I had signed up for it a day before Love Mocktail 2 took off. But then we haven’t started shooting for it yet because both Nischith and I have been busy with other commitments. This is a gangster film, but has a love story at its core. I have finished shooting for the first schedule of director Deepak Madhuvanahalli’s Unlock Raghava, in which I play an archaeologist and am paired with Milind. This film is about us finding an ancient treasure box, in the course of which I fall in love with the hero. I am currently on the set of Bhuvanam Gaganam, which has Pramod and Pruthvi Ambaar in the lead. I am paired with Pramod in the film, which is travel based, but is also a romantic drama. There are two parallel love tracks in the film and my portions are only with Pramod,” says the actress, who is currently shuttling between the sets of Bhuvanam Gaganam and Unlock Raghava.

In Bhuvanam Gaganam, Rachel’s character appears in flashback portions when Pramod narrates his love story. “The film’s narrative is not only split between the two leads, but also in terms of the time period. While some of it is set during their college days, the rest unfolds in their lives thereafter, with marriage, work, etc. I play a character called Nandini and since this is a travel-based film, we will be travelling across Karnataka. We are looking at shooting the college portions in August, but that will depend on the weather, because this will be an outdoor schedule,” she says.

On the surface, although each of her Kannada films seem to be different, they are all still love stories. Is she, perhaps, getting typecast as a result of her role in Love Mocktail 2? “I hope not. I try to do movies that offer me different characters. Yes, eventually, they may all be love stories with a happy ending, but they are nothing like Love Mocktail 2. Unlock Raghava, for instance, has a lot of mystery and drama surrounding the treasure box, while Bhuvanam Gaganam is mostly about travel. So, in terms of screenplay, everything is different. The foundation may be a love story, but what goes around is the interesting and unique. Strangely enough, my next Malayalam movie is not a love story at all,” Rachel explains.

Meanwhile, Rachel’s Tamil film, Waking/Talking Strawberry Ice Cream, which has been produced by Vignesh Shivan and Nayanthara, is packed up and ready for release. “The film will release directly on OTT sometime later this year; it was delayed because of Vignesh and Nayanthara’s wedding. My Malayalam film ‘@’, a dark web thriller, is also ready and maybe in theatres sometime in September,” she says.

Although Rachel’s film debut was with Irupathiyonaam Nootaandu, opposite Pranav Mohanlal, the Bengaluru-based actress has been busier in Kannada cinema. “Oh yes, my career in Kannada films has definitely taken off well. Hopefully, with ‘@’ things will pick up in Malayalam too. I am, in fact, in talks for a film in Mollywood now, which may materialize soon,” she signs off.