Dream Debut

Jisha Surya

Last Updated : 23 Mar 2012

Lenin Rajendran’s ‘Mazha’ was a pathbreaking movie in Samyukta Varma’s career. Now, almost 12 years later, Lenin is launching Samyukta’s cousin Uthara Unni through ‘Edavappathi: No Man’s Land’, where the 19-year-old is playing a double role. Uthara, daughter of actor Urmila Unni, is quite excited about her character in the film, which she considers a dream role.

“I play a modern girl who falls in love with a Buddhist monk. In a parallel story, I don the role of Vasavadatta, who is in love with the Buddhist monk Upagupta. It is a challenging role for a beginner like me and I think I have bagged a dream role in my debut film,” says Uthara.

Uthara is equally excited about her co-stars. Siddharth Lama, the naughty Rimphoche in ‘Yodha’, plays the role of a Buddhist monk in the film. Manisha Koirala plays an important role as the mother of Uthara’s character in the film. “She was very co-operative,” says Uthara. “She was patient enough to grant me good time for rehearsal,” she adds. Just as any other Malayali film lover, Uthara too is happy about the re-entry of Siddharth into Mollywood.

“I was surprised when I learned that Siddharth was the hero. He is the same old Unnikuttan. I tease him, calling ‘Akkosotto’,” says Uthara, laughing. First schedule of the shooting was held at Madikeri in Karnataka.

Though ‘Edavappathi’ is her first Mollywood film, she had acted in a soon-to-be-released Tamil film - ‘Vavval Pasanga’. Though she got many offers from Kollywood, most were of the same kind. “I will choose films based on directors. If the director is good, everything else will be good,” she explains.

Though her mom and cousin are experienced actors, Uthara was nervous at first. “I was a shy girl. I used to be nervous when people stared at me when I used to go out with mother. Now I have changed,” says Uthara who had a brief stint in ads before joining films. “I have acted in ads of Dhatri, Bhima and Emmanuel Silks,” she says.

Any advice from mother? “Amma told me I must not hesitate to say no if the situation demands so,” she says. Also a painter and trained dancer, Uthara is doing her degree in visual communication at Chennai.