Aaraattu

Gopan, a real estate tycoon, buys a large piece of land in Chittur for construction purpose, but on his arrival, he learns that the residents are forcefully evicted from their properties by an Andhra-based real estate mafia.

BACKGROUNDER

Aaraattu will be a treat for Mohanlal fans: Shraddha Srinath

The actor was in Kerala to shoot for the Mohanlal-B Unnikrishnan film which is her second Malayalam feature after Kohinoor

Sajin Shrijith   |   @XpressCinema   |   Published: 25th November 2020

Shraddha Srinath just landed in Kerala a couple of days back, to shoot for Aarattu, her second Malayalam film after five years. It's also her first film post the lockdown. She admits to feeling a little frustrated during the eight-month-long break. "It's quite daunting for actors," she says. "Everyone else had their work every day. A writer can write; a singer can practice. But how would actors stay in touch with their craft? At one point, I worried about my talent slowly slipping away from me. These were unfounded fears, fortunately."

She adds that the process of getting back to work feels like a complete reset. "I was telling my mom the other day that when I left Bengaluru, I felt as if I was going to shoot for the very first time in my life. I'm nervous, but at the same time, it feels like a good kind of energy after the long break."

During the lockdown, Shraddha occupied herself with watching numerous shows across OTT platforms. "Observing other actors doing impressive work was helpful," she says. "When you spot a beautiful performance, you also want to try out something like that. So I mentally made notes of what all I could do the next time I'm in front of the camera. That got me excited."

Aaraattu is Shraddha's second Malayalam film after 2015's Kohinoor, in which she had a small part. That was her acting debut as well. Asked if she was offered any other Malayalam film after Kohinoor, Shraddha says, “Well, what I did in Kohinoor is not something that would’ve stayed in people’s memory for a long time. It was nothing impactful. I’m not sure someone would’ve thought of my presence in a film which had actors like Indrajith and Vinay Forrt.”

Aaraattu is said to be a big-budget mass entertainer, and Shraddha will be working with a large crew. Naturally, the team is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the safety of every member. Like every other actor working in the present conditions, Shraddha, too, was required to take a mandatory Covid-19 test. The procedure doesn't make her anxious anymore. "I have been doing some travelling recently and testing myself very often. So it's become routine for me now," she laughs.

She shares that director B Unnikrishnan didn't want any compromises in terms of safety. "Every single person on the team is required to follow safety protocols, which made me very confident. I was more than happy to come in advance and get tested and adhere to all the guidelines. It's like a bio-bubble. You stick with the crew for the shoot, go home, and repeat. There is no chance of exposure to external elements."

The Vikram Vedha actor is playing an IAS officer in Aaraattu. While it is very much a Mohanlal film, her role in it is not without its importance. "Unni sir was very clear about what kind of film this was going to be. He said it's not something that requires a high level of thinking or anything. It has every ingredient that Mohanlal fans would love to see. The thrills, the cheers, the whistle-worthy moments. That said, it's also got an interesting plot, and the character I play has her own personality. She is devoid of any masala elements. She is an upright government officer, and I'm looking forward to seeing the equation she brings to the table."

Shraddha will be shooting for the film for about 15-20 days and will be delivering all her lines in Malayalam itself.

As for her future projects, Shraddha has the Tamil films, Maara (with Madhavan), Chakra (with Vishal), and a dystopian, post-apocalyptic project called Kaliyugam coming up after this.

On whether the report of Maara being a complete remake of the Malayalam film Charlie is true or not, Shraddha says the right word would be 'inspired'. "You could say they are the same in spirit but different otherwise. There are some lovely changes made in the Tamil version," she clarifies, adding that she shares some similarities with her character in the film.