'NEVER THOUGHT I COULD DANCE'

When Ritika Singh agreed to star in Sivalinga (the Tamil remake of the eponymous Kannada film), she wasn’t sure she would fit. After all, the first question the film’s director P Vasu asked her was, “Are you a good dancer?” She laughs as she remembers the incident. “I told him I wasn’t, but I resolved to give it my best shot.” 

It wasn’t particularly hard considering the dancing ability of her co-star, Lawrence. “He’s a thorough professional and has amazing energy. I had to work very hard on my steps, with his support. It has all taken a toll on my knees and back. I still feel it. But I don’t have any regrets. In hindsight, I’ve realised that while I was a good athlete, I wasn’t equipped to dance. I’m confident about my acting though, or as I call it instead, ‘behaving’.”

Being the self-aware person that she is, Ritika uninhibitedly opens up about her experiences on the sets of Sivalinga. “I found it tough during the first three days and felt like running away. Vasu sir’s direction style is also quite different. He enacts every scene and expects the actors to follow it faithfully. There were times when I really learned, but all said, I think any two people usually think differently,” she says.

Vasu was also concerned about her looks. “He wanted me to look ‘chubby’, and told me a couple of times that I needed to stop kickboxing.”

Her biggest takeaway from Sivalinga is having found a part of herself she never knew existed. “I never thought I could dance. I also now believe that I can work outside of my comfort zone. I am a tomboy by nature, but in this film, I had to wear saris and do romance scenes. I also realised how good it feels to ‘dress up’.”

What made her sign up for this film in the first place? “I found it interesting because it was so far away from who I am. When Vasu sir narrated the script, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to portray his character effectively. But now, thanks to his guidance, it has been possible.”

About the story of the film, she says, “It has everything: suspense, comedy and entertainment. I am quite excited to watch it.” There were reports that she plays a ghost in the film. “Yes, I get possessed. To play the character was physically draining. The make-up shots we took to get the look of the ghost right were all quite freaky.”

Now that Ritika has officially entered masala cinema, does she see herself holding out?

“Until the promotions started, it never struck me that it was a ‘commercial’ film. Even when I signed it, I didn’t ask myself about it. I am fairly new to this industry and still don’t get what’s masala cinema and what isn’t. I see every film as being just that: a film.”

After playing a journalist in Aandavan Kattalai, Ritika says she was approached to play similar roles. But the actress, who’s presently working on Arvind Swamy’s Vanangamudi, isn’t a fan of repetition.

“That’s why I chose this film. I play an urban girl, and am an effervescent presence in this thriller,” she says. “Arvind Swami is a brilliant actor. He made me understand that an actor just has to be there and do whatever comes naturally.”

She hopes to work with more filmmakers along the mould of Sudha Kongara and Manikandan. “I am also open to doing films in other languages,” she says. I can’t stop thinking about Vasu’s request that she stop kickboxing. Did she take it seriously? “I’ll never quit sports for films. It matters to me,” she concludes. 

(The piece was originally published for The New Indian Express)