Dhanshika, who rechristened herself to Sai Dhanshika recently, couldn’t have asked for a better phase in her career. She has been in the limelight for almost a year now, and is getting huge attention for the simple reason that she was roped in for the Rajinikanth-starrer Kabali. That was enough for many, who now want to befriend her and follow her on social media.
But, the casting had its own pluses and minuses! Apparently, when a still photo of a gun-wielding Sai Dhanshika aiming at Rajini came out, she was trolled on Twitter by fans of the latter for her ‘filmy act’. “It was scary,” reveals Dhanshika. “I am excited as well as nervous,” she adds, as she talks to DC from Malaysia, where she is shooting for her upcoming heroine-centric movie Rani. The actress is going to watch Kabali in a theatre along with audiences in the Island nation, on the first day!
“It’s everybody’s dream to work with Rajinikanth sir. When it happened to me so early in my career, I felt blessed. All credit should go to director Ranjith sir who opted for me to play the coveted role, and trusted in me. This movie is very significant for me,” the dusky actress, who apparently had to audition for the role, reveals.
Normally, those who play Rajini’s on-screen daughters do not get much screen time. On the contrary, we hear that hers is a meaty role, around which the story revolves... and Dhanshika immediately responds — “I never said I am essaying Rajini sir’s daughter in Kabali! I portray a rebellious character, and with that the story will evolve eventually. If I say one more word, the whole plot will be disclosed.”
Describing her first day of shooting with Rajini, she recalls, “The first two days, Ranjith sir shot airport sequences. I was totally tense, but did not show it! His energy levels in front of the camera were so infectious that it got transmitted to everyone on the sets. He speaks the dialogues so powerfully that you don’t even need to add sound effects. I had goosebumps. That way, I was forced to perform and had no choice but to give my best if I were to remain in the film. No wonder, he is the ‘ultimate superstar’”.
Heaping laurels on the Enthiran star, she adds, “The best part about Rajini sir is that he will immediately appreciate when you do your job well. He is such a simple man that he has never made us feel that there’s an aura around him. In fact, he doesn’t even go to his room after his portions are over. He prefers to sit through on the sets, watching all of us work no matter how tired he is.”
Being a sportsperson and having learned Silambam from stunt master Pandian, the action scenes were never a problem for the Aravaan girl. “Right from my Peraanmai days, I preferred to do stunt sequences all by myself. Having had proper training, I could pull it off in Kabali also! But, yes, I did feel the strain during some intense fight sequences, and was wondering how male actors perform stunts film after film,” she smiles.
Though Ranjith was a taskmaster, Dhanshika (who also dubbed for the film herself) says he conducted a workshop before embarking on the project — “He knows exactly what he wants from each and every artiste. He makes no compromises, for whatsoever reason. Even a small character in his films stands out!”
And now, to her makeover — the demure beauty also cut her lovely long tresses, to sport a pixie cut for Kabali! “I believed in Ranjith sir when he said that he needed a particular look for my character. Moreover, it is a Rajini sir film — I would go to any extent to perfect the character the script demanded!” she takes leave in style.
