Ravi ditches Bollywood, picks Kannada babe

A resident of Mysuru, originally from Chikmagalur, it is debutant actress Apoorva's ' as she has been rechristened for her innings in the film industry by her co-star, director and mentor V Ravichandaran ' time in the limelight. A visibly excited and nervous Apoorva was introduced to the media only days before the upcoming release, also called Apoorva.
As a filmmaker who has only chosen heroines from outside Karnataka ' Bollywood, specifically ' casting a Kannadiga newbie is a first for Ravichandaran.'I had just started college in Mysuru when a friend passed on Ravi sir's email address to me. I did not believe it could be his, but I was curious, as I have been a great fan of his. I sent him a couple of my pictures from some modelling assignments that I'd done. The email address turned out to be valid and I was asked to come to Bengaluru for an audition. I failed the audition and returned home disheartened. Later, I sent across a picture of mine minus makeup. Ravi sir called me for yet another audition and, at that time, I was chosen for the lead role,' says the young actress about her dream debut.
Handling a complete novice would, undoubtedly, be a challenge. 'I did not come with any preconceived notions about being an actress or about working with Ravi sir. That helped to some extent, because when people mention he is strict on the set or something like that, I wonder if they are talking about the same person. I have learnt a lot about my work from Ravi sir, and the good part is that he has taught me without raising his voice or losing his temper even once. I learnt to understand that I might not be doing what he is expecting as a director by his non-intrusive tone. Till he says the shot went well, you know for a fact that you have not delivered your best yet. There was just this one time when I reached the set half an hour late. Ravi sir taught me the lesson of my life that day. He did not begin shoot for half the day after that, to teach me to value time. I have not been late anywhere ever since that day,' recalls Apoorva.
While she is excited to see herself on screen, she also says, 'It is not the kind of debut you would ever expect ' a love story between a 61 year old and a 19 year old. Initially, even I was shocked when I heard the story. But the story was what sealed the deal for me ' added to the fact that it was none other than Ravichandaran himself playing the lead. I know that this is a performance-oriented role, and I have done what my director asked of me ' been totally natural as far as acting is concerned. The film did not have the usual song-and-dance routine etc. There is always time to do those kind of films too. But as of now, I have probably watched Apoorva just as many times as Ravi sir has, and I am happy with the work I have done. Now, I can't wait to hear what the audience thinks.'