Jhansi, at her Filmnagar residence, is surrounded by a series of art works, portraits by her and her daughter, and the awards she’s earned. The TV show host cum actor is just getting back to work after a minor health trouble and will be seen in this week’s release Kundanapu Bomma. She confesses to being very selective about her work and conscious of not repeating herself. “My rejected offer list is in fact more than what I take up,” she shares.
Kundanapu Bomma is special for another reason; her character (a housemaid) speaks in a peculiar style which has her adding an ‘Unga’ syllable after every letter in a sentence she utters. Experimenting with slangs isn’t exactly new for Jhansi, she accepts. “But within a familiar zone, the director has added more juice and variety to the part, even it’s a small one.”
The director Vara Mullapudi gave her clear instructions — keep a blank face while saying her lines! “It was tough not to give any expressions in contrast to my normal animated self. There is something robotic about how she delivers a punchline. The humour is generated as other characters can’t understand what she (the maid) says. Speaking like that wasn’t a problem, in fact I talk that way regularly with my best friend,” she adds.
The maker had initially suggested she speak a language akin to that of a Star Wars character, but it was Jhansi who came up with this one. “ Ee bhasha ardhamayyi, avvanattu undadam valla , we went ahead.”
What Jhansi seeks from film offers is the impact and not the time seen on screen; that’s one reason she hasn’t signed any films after Okka Ammayi Thappa .
“I don’t mind even if it’s just a single scene. But my role should make its presence felt and add value to the outcome.” She reveals frankly that television as a medium comes more naturally to her than cinema.
“Cinema has a script and a character that’s not necessarily me. Television is where I can afford to be myself and I am involved actively in the process, be it scripting, writing and the total outcome.”
There’s monotony in both film and television industries, she accepts. Exploring new themes in her television shows Naveena and Chethana each week is her way of beating the déjà vu factor.
What about hosting film audio launches? “It may be repetitive for the profession I’m in. But every film is dear and special in many ways to the producer and the director. So that approach may not work,” she replies.
A few years ago, Jhansi was hit hard by the failure of her home production but that doesn’t change her plans to direct/produce for the future.
“The plans are on, but maybe once I replenish my financial resources?” she smiles. She also wants to act in ‘web-isodes’, but only once the form feels more refined.
