Pranitha Subhash recalls Bhuj The Pride of India: ‘You are apprehensive, do not know if you stand out enough’
In an exclusive interview, Pranitha Subhash talks about working after motherhood, recalls working in a multi-starrer movie and more.
Pranitha Subhash, who has mainly worked in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films has recalled working in Ajay Devgn's Bhuj The Pride of India, and said that she was apprehensive whether she would be able to "stand out enough" in a film that featured Ajay, Sonakshi Sinha, Sanjay Dutt, among many others. In an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times, the actor talks about the effects motherhood has had on her career and more.
Pranitha has also featured in Bollywood movies such as Hungama 2. Currently, she is working on her Malayalam debut.
Challenges of working on Bhuj The Pride of India
Recalling the time she worked with Ajay Devgn in Bhuj The Pride of India, Pranitha said, “This role was a Marathi wife role and they thought I fit the bill with my south-indian looks. Then, it was an ensemble cast and my first film too. It makes you apprehensive as in you do not know if you stand out enough (in that huge cast)." Pranitha played the role of Ajay's wife in the movie directed by Abhishek Dudhaiya. It also featured Nora Fatehi, Ammy Virk, and Sharad Kelkar.
She added, "That could have been the toughest part for me because back in the day it was you are the hero's wife or something then you are the only one...now it is not like that. And, in the south it is clear if you have a song with the hero or this sequence which will make you stand out. Here, it felt different, that was the tough part. Hindi was not a challenge as I had very few dialogues.”
Pranitha's parents hoped she'd be a doctor
Asked about the major challenges of her career, Pranitha said convincing her family about her career choice was a tough one. “Convincing folks at home was quite a challenge. My mother and father are doctors and they have a hospital in Bangalore, so it was kind of unsaid that this is how things are going to be. You know, how normally these things work (Parents expect children to take after their profession).”
She further said, “Also, there is so much apprehension about the film industry. You actually have no idea, all that you know from far away is that it is risky. There is no gurantee that it is a sure shot career. So they were apprehensive and wanted me to focus on academics instead. Initially, they asked me to take it up as a hobby. I had just finished my 12th when I did my first film.”
She also recalled that she first became a part of an advertisement for light jewellery for some pocket money. The hoardings were spotted and got her her debut film with Siddharth in 2010 - Baava.
Difference between Tamil and Telugu film industries
Talking about differences in the various film industries, Pranitha said, “How the entire Tamil industry sees performance is very different from what it is in Telugu. In Telugu, I had to be this typical, the superlative, hyper-bubbly girl. On the other hand, in Tamil films, they expect you to be more real. It took a while for me to make that transition. In Tamil, I had to underplay emotions.”
Pranitha also said that be it Bollywood, or Tamil, or Telugu, or Kannada, she has always found very welcoming environment on sets. “The Indian film industry is very welcoming. You may come with little or no experience and they are still welcoming. In the south, you may not even know their language and they are still welcoming. I just completed my first Malayalam movie and I felt it was also very welcoming team and set.”
Shooting after becoming a mom
Pranitha gave birth to her first child, a daughter, last year. Asked about stepping out of the house for work after becoming a mom, she said, “Working on the Malayalam film was a huge challenge as my baby was too small. Half my mind would be with her as I worked there. Being away for 25-30 days used to be very hard. Even if we planned to get the baby and her father to the location, it would be hard. Shooting a movie with a small baby around was also tough for everyone around.” Pranitha will soon make her Malayalam debut with Rastheesh Raghunandan's Thankamani.
She added, “Malayalam movies are shot in hectic shcedules and I not used to that kind of routine. Mostly, I am used to films where we shoot for a few hours and then rest of the day is about gymming and chilling.”
Parenting duties
Asked if her husband shares parenting duties with her, Pranitha said, “I do not know how the father does very little work but she still runs to the father. I mean he spends a lot of time with her but I do all the work. There is also the good cop and bad cop we are playing - I do not let her watch TV. I am the bad cop here.”