Varsha Bollamma: Swathimuthyam is a film that’s very close to reality and all characters come with enough dept h

Swathimuthyam, the family entertainer starring Ganesh and Varsha Bollamma in the lead, hits theatres on October 5. The film, written and directed by Lakshman K Krishna, is bankrolled by S Naga Vamsi under Sithara Entertainments in association with Fortune Four Cinemas. Ahead of its release, actress Varsha Bollamma shared her experiences of working in the film with the media.

On her character Bhagyalakshmi:

My character Bhagyalakshmi dominates Ganesh slightly in the film. While I play a firm, confident girl, there’s an innocence to Ganesh. She’s a pre-primary school teacher and like her strictness with students, she has the upper hand in the relationship too. I was initially interested in the film because it was being produced by a big banner like Sithara Entertainments, but I was equally impressed with the story later.

On using a real-life reference to play Bhagyalakshmi:

I didn’t have any real-life teacher in mind to play the part. Though I have had great teachers in the past, I didn’t have anyone as a reference for Swathimuthyam. Besides being a teacher, Bhagyalakshmi is essentially a fun-loving girl. I truly enjoy being amidst children and I don’t mind when they’re upto some frolic. It was great fun to act amidst children.

On Swathimythyam, the story:

Though we may deal with the same theme as Vicky Donor for a brief portion of the film, Swathimuthyam is a proper family entertainer and a love story. The world of this film is entirely different. I am not allowed to talk much about it now but you’ll realise it when you watch it in theatres.

I always like stories that are closer to reality and there’s a lot of depth to each of the characters in Swathimuthyam. The treatment is refreshing. I am a small-town girl myself and I know how small issues too are blown out of proportion in villages. This is a story that most families will relate to and I could understand and fall in love with this world.

On Swathimythyam’s cast:

The film is an out-and-out entertainer and the star cast says it all. Veterans like Naresh, Rao Ramesh and Goparaju Ramana add so much life to the story. This is my second film with Goparaju Ramana garu after Middle Class Melodies. He brings so much energy to the set and brings a lot of nuance to his dialogue delivery.

On Ganesh and her career choices:

Ganesh is very much aware of the ways of the industry and filmmaking in general. He was never like a newcomer on sets and came prepared. As an actress, I want to do all kinds of roles but it seems that audiences like to see me in girl-next-door characters and they became more popular in my career. I would be game for a psychotic character too, something like Riteish Deshmukh in Ek Villain.

As much as I’m looking forward to the commercial success of my films, I want to be recognised as a performer who can pull off any role. I have never regretted any of my decisions. I am ambitious and want to be known for my acting chops, but being an A-lister or not isn’t within my hands.

On director Lakshman K Krishna:

When I met the director Lakshman K Krishna first, I was reminded of Middle Class Melodies filmmaker Vinod Anantoju. Both come from small towns and exude innocence and warmth. As a filmmaker, Lakshman comes with a clear head and is a good writer. I am quite confident about the film.

On associating with Sithara Entertainments:

I don’t believe any banner will be called big just because they score commercial successes. Sithara Entertainments has a reputation because of its value system, the way they treat, respect people on set. Whenever my team is working on a film with such a banner, they’re thrilled about the work. They pay on time, and choose good stories and that has brought them this far.

On Telugu cinema and other industries:

I am quite thrilled about working in Telugu cinema. I got a lot of respect here and since my debut, the industry made me feel comfortable. I never felt like I was working here, I come to the set with a lot of joy. I have entered films with Tamil cinema and did Malayalam films too but Kannada offers haven’t come my way. My next release will be Ooru Peru Bhairavakona alongside Sundeep Kishan.