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Of the lovely ladies from Kerala, including Asin, Nayantara, Gopika, Sandhya, Navya Nair and Renuka Menon, Bhavana has carved a place for herself in Tamil cinema. With her first film in Tamil, ‘Chithiram Pesuthadi’ turning out to be a hit, she is a busy lady currently with ‘Veyil’, ‘Arya’, ‘Kizhakku Kadarkarai Salai’, ‘Deepavali’ and ‘Naan Kadavul’.
In conversation with her…
How were you introduced to cinema?
I have wanted to act in cinema ever since I was in school. The reason being that my father was a cinematographer for several Malayalam movies. While accompanying him to the sets, I used to wonder how it would be to be an actress.

The dream led me to learn dance. Even if I didn’t pay too much attention to my studies, I used to pass in all my exams. While studying in the tenth standard in Thrissur, I was given the opportunity to act in the film ‘Nammal’ under Malayalam director Kamal. I had a very different character in the film. I played Parimalam, a Tamil girl who lived in a slum. I had to blacken my face for the role. A few people teased me saying that I had blackened my face for my very first film and was sure to have a dark future in cinema. I did not let that bother me and acted bravely. After that several films came my way. I acted opposite the leading stars of Malayalam cinema, Mamootty, Mohanlal, Prithviraj and Dilip. It was at that time that I got the opportunity to act in ‘Chithiram Pesuthadi’. After the film became a hit, I became a busy actress in Tamil.

What do you think about the world of Tamil cinema?
I am overwhelmed by the welcome and the respect I was given here. All the technicians, directors and producers in the Tamil film industry give me respect. When I did ‘Chithiram Pesuthadi’, I could not speak much Tamil. Now I am able to converse in Tamil and am learning to read and write also. I get letters from fans in appreciation of my acting. They make me very happy. When I was acting in Malayalam, I had the desire to act in Tamil. Now that wish has come true plus I am doing several interesting roles. I feel honoured.