For Kruthika Jayakumar, an acting career was not part of her plan of action; until it landed in her lap as a pleasant surprise. The 17-year-old science student from Bengaluru, who is also a trained Bharatanatyam dancer, was spotted by a Malayalam filmmaker during a dance performance in Trivandrum. Struck by her expressions and photogenic features he suggested that she act in films. As luck would have it the makers of Drishyam were looking for a fresh face to play Venkatesh and Meena’s elder daughter in the Telugu remake.
Born to Tamil parents and raised in Bengaluru, speaking in Telugu was a minor challenge for Kruthika. “It is a little similar to Kannada so it was manageable. Now however, I’m a lot more comfortable with the language. Juggling college and shooting also was fortunately not a problem since we shot for Drishyam during my college vacations,” she says.
The debutante, who grew up watching Venkatesh and Meena’s films, never imagined that she would one day share screen space with them. “Acting itself was never on the cards for me. I wanted to become a professional dancer and I was working my way towards it. Films happened by chance. I still continue to dance however,” she says, adding, “Working in Drishyam was a wonderful experience. It was a great learning experience considering I got to work with such senior artistes and filmmakers. I am blessed to be a part of this movie. It is a feel-good family-oriented film.”
Talking about her experience of playing Anju, Venkatesh and Meena’s elder daughter in the film, Kruthika says, “I play somebody who is always into academics. To Anju, her family is her world and she is a daddy’s girl. She’s simple and vulnerable and is exploited. To play that character and portray a victim of exploitation was a good experience. It was a little easier for me to bring out those emotions on screen thanks to my training in dance, which teaches you to be in touch with yourself and express yourself.”
She recounts her first encounter with her senior co-stars, “I’ve never known anybody from the film industry and I didn’t know how they would be. But when I first met Venkatesh and Meena they were so helpful and down-to-earth. I was extremely comfortable with them.”
The first-time actor though hasn’t yet signed other films. “I’d like to take my time to select really good movies. I’ve received a lot of offers, but I haven’t signed anything yet. I’d like to choose movies that have a good mix of glamour and strong character; something with a good scope for performance,” she says, adding, “I’d love to act with S.S. Rajamouli and Allu Arjun one day.”
