Siri Ravikumar on Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye: I had no idea about counselling in a hospice until I played Prerana

Earlier today, when the trailer of Kannada actor-filmmaker Raj B Shetty’s Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye came out, it was finally revealed that the film’s crux revolves around a hospice for the terminally ill. Leading lady Siri Ravikumar plays Prerana, a counsellor at this establishment, whose job it is to help end-stage patients come to terms with their prognosis and prepare for the end, so to say. The role, of course, was very challenging for Siri, who had not come across hospice counselling until then.

Speaking at the trailer launch, Siri said that since the film was shot in only 18 days, it was imperative for everyone on set to maintain a sombre mood, in keeping with the subject, which was not easy. What was also tough was getting into character as Prerana. “We have seen how counsellors speak and behave in various instances, but the profile is drastically different in a hospice, which I had no idea about. I had visited a hospice in Bengaluru and the staff was really helpful in making me understand the nuances of dealing with terminal patients, like, for instances, that you cannot tell them everything is going to be okay. Preparing them to face the reality is very difficult,” said the actress, adding that she sat through a session that a counsellor had with a patient, which she found very overwhelming.

Following the session, Siri broke down and the counsellor had to then explain to her that her response was exactly what they could never have as part of their profession. The actress added that she had shot for Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye a year ago and that it was emotional being able to share the trailer of the film with audiences. Swathi Mutthina Male Haniye will release in theatres on November 24 as a KRG Studios presentation. The film as been produced by actress Ramya’s banner AppleBox Studios and has music by Midhun Mukundan.