Exclusive! Sai Kamakshi Bhaskarla on Maa Oori Polimera: Working for small films provide a lot of opportunities to learn

Former Miss Telangana pageant winner, actress, medico, Sai Kamakshi Bhaskarla is signing off the year on a high. After a commendable debut with the Rama Raju-directorial Priyuraalu and an appearance in Akhil Akkineni-Pooja Hegde starrer Most Eligible Bachelor, she rounded off 2021 with an arresting performance in Maa Oori Polimera, that released directly on Disney+ Hotstar. 

She held her own in the role of Lachimi, a loyal housewife to Komarayya, a man with contrasting public and private lives. That's not all, the actress was an integral part of director Anil Vishwanath's team during the shoot, learning a thing or two on the intricacies of filmmaking as well. In an interview with OTTplay.com, Sai Kamakshi Bhaskarla relives her experiences of working on the gripping rural thriller that received glowing reviews.

Be it Lachimi in Maa Oori Polimera or Saritha in Priyuraalu, both your characters come from poor families and are at the mercy of men. Did you find them similar in any way?

I didn't find them similar, honestly! Yes, both come from marginalised backgrounds and the men do wreak havoc in their lives. When you see Saritha in Priyuraalu, you notice that she took a stance for herself. Though hailing from a poor family, she is a strong woman. In contrast, Lachimi is not an individual and puts her worth in her family, more so in her husband. When Lachimi realises that she's been betrayed by her husband, she starts crying and didn't see it coming. If you notice, she even says, 'Mattilo kalupudamanukunnadu, mattilo kalisipoyadu.' Later, when Janga reveals the truth, there's something that makes her ask him, 'Baava inka brathike unnada?' She is willing to have him back - it's a case of unconditional acceptance.

What convinced you to come on board for Maa Oori Polimera - the twists, the story or the character?

I was sold by the twists and also the story for the second part. I know how my character transforms in the second part and for that, I needed to take this up first. My reaction was similar to that of the audience when they first watched it. I have meaty roles in both parts. The film may not necessarily revolve around me in the first part but my character was integral to the story. The director Anil Vishwanath, also, is a great narrator and I still remember the day when I stepped into his office to hear the story for the first time. I had to use the loo in the middle of the narration but he was so engrossed in the story that I didn't want to interrupt his momentum.

Unlike Priyuralu, you shot for Maa Oori Polimera entirely in a village. Did it help you get into the skin of the character better? What was the shooting experience like?

I can't say that the shooting experience was great. We shot the film at a village called Dammapeta and had our share of hiccups. We had to convert a house into a lodge. Right from the stay to the night shoots, shooting minus luxury or caravans, it was hard work. I went the extra mile to interact with the locals to understand their mindset, how close are they to my character in the film. 

The interactions with my co-actors Bala Aditya, Getup Srinu and Satyam Rajesh were memorable. They come with a lot of experience and it was nice to bug them with a lot of questions about their careers, choices (laughs). Being part of the direction team, I got to know what it takes to create magic on the screen. This was my first shoot after lockdown and it felt immensely liberating to come out of the house after a year for a project.

Beyond the film's plot, isn't it unfortunate that practices like black magic or other superstitions are still not a thing of the past in 2021?

It is disturbing when you hear globalisation, GDP and still notice people, at the heart of the country, place their faith in such dogmatic practices, superstitions. We are still bothered about a black cat passing in front of us before a journey, raahu kaalam and yama gandam. No progress is useful until we shun such ideas from our minds. I always believe facts and beliefs are different. I don't want to interfere with anyone's belief system as long as they don't try hard to impose it on another person.

What went into playing a character of a village belle whose world entirely revolved around her husband?

For any role I take up, I borrow inspiration from real life and do not take any reference from other films or characters. When I play someone, I try to relate it to someone among my family members, friends or acquaintances. I can relate to the trauma that someone, who has no world beyond their spouses, goes through. When I listen to my character in a script, I get an image of a particular person in my mind and bring their body language, histrionics to my performance. If I empathise with a character, I go in search of her. For Saritha in Priyuraalu, I went and interacted with women in slums, discussing, questioning their choices and understanding their mindset.

Was the OTT release of Maa Oori Polimera a blessing in disguise, for it gave a chance for people to focus on the story and not on the absence of the heavyweights in the cast?

I am not sure about reacting to this question because I informed the director that the film had the potential to be a theatrical release when they were considering OTT. The director told me that he didn't want to risk a theatrical release with newcomers and the experiment of casting conventional comedians like Satyam Rajesh, Getup Srinu and Chitram Srinu in intense roles. The film was intended for an OTT release right from the beginning. With the second part though, I am confident they'll be looking at a theatrical release.

What was it like to work in the direction team? Do you have any directorial ambitions in the times to come?

Before the lockdown, I never even thought about this. During the pandemic though, I began reading a lot of books, just to keep myself sane. The initial idea was to shoot for my character in two stretches with a brief break in between. After developing a rapport with the cast and crew of the film, I didn't want to leave them and Dammapeta. I didn't want to sit idle in my room and roam around the sets like an actress. I informed the director about my interest to understand what goes into filmmaking, join the direction team and that I would give my best. He was apprehensive but took me on board. I was responsible for drafting an edit report, checking continuity issues, managing the crowd with my communication skills, doing a bit of everything. Working for low-budget films provide a lot of opportunities to learn, deal with challenging situations. I was there with the team entirely during post-production as well.

What can audiences expect from the second part of Maa Oori Polimera? Do you think it'll be better than the first part?

Being part of the direction team, I know the constraints we had in terms of budget, time and managed to finish the shoot in around 21-22 days. We had almost 80-85 shots every day to go as per our plan. The second part will turn out better because we achieved a quality output in the first one, even with all our limitations. We were aware of the portions where the film wasn't upto the mark. In the second part, the film will be a rollercoaster journey right from the beginning. It will be shot on a grander canvas and as a story, we'll also dive more into the belief system, emotional journey of the characters, how the brothers Janga and Komarayya are at odds with one another. 

(Maa Oori Polimera, starring Satyam Raju, Getup Srinu, Bala Aditya and Sai Kamakshi Bhaskarla is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar)