Arbeen, in the latest Kannada web series ‘Kyaabre’, exudes an irresistible charm. Putting behind a tragic past, she carves a place for herself in bustling Bengaluru. She is always positive and empathetic to people less fortunate than her. Perhaps there is more to Arbeen than meets the eye. Siri Ravikumar plays this complex yet endearing character with conviction.
“I held on to emotions that aren’t concrete,” she tells Showtime, while talking about her preparations for the role. “There is definitely something about Arbeen. Perhaps it’s the way she treats everybody equally,” she adds.
Siri and Vijay Krishna (who plays Arjun) share fine chemistry while showcasing a ‘more than friendship, less than love’ relationship. “That was a challenging portion. We don’t know what’s really going on between them. My expressions were instinctive,” she says.
‘Kyaabre’ — by comedy channel Tharle Box and directed by Siddhanth KS — is a refreshing take on people’s dreams and struggles in a cut-throat city. The dialogues are hilarious. The natural performances make this ensemble cast likable. The writing focuses on the warmth between the diverse characters than on the plot to move the story forward. Arbeen is definitely one of people’s favourites. “It helps when you have a great team. Many girls told me that Arbeen represented them. I think that’s a great compliment,” Siri says.
Not so long ago, radio jockeying was Siri’s main focus. Following a seven-year stint in the profession, she recently bid the job goodbye to nurture her acting dreams. In her words, her journey has been marked by ‘chances than choices’.
“I set out to be a singer,” says the youngster, trained in Carnatic and Hindustani music. “But then, I found paths to do different things. People around me threw me into uncharted territories and I managed to survive and thrive in them,” says Siri, who hosted ‘Kannada Kogile’ (season 2), a singing reality show.
Her time in theatre, under the tutelage of Prakash Belawadi, laid the foundation for her acting skills. “Prakash sir is a bundle of knowledge. The nuances of acting, be it emoting or delivering dialogues, came through theatre,” she says.
Before ‘Kyaabre’, Siri’s full-fledged role came in P Sheshadri’s ‘Beti’, which was screened at film festivals. “I was desperate to do the role because I play a speech-impaired girl. For a radio jockey who made a living from talking, it was interesting to do this character,” she explains.
A small role in Hemanth Rao’s ‘Kavaludaari’ was special, she adds. “Hemanth is a great storyteller. The film was made under the PRK Production banner and I wanted to be associated with it,” she says.
Having done bit roles in films so far, Siri is keen on finding her feet in the industry. Her next is ‘Sakutumba Sametha’, produced by Rakshit Shetty and directed by debutant Rahul PK. “It’s an engagement break-up story that’ll be highly relatable,” she signs off.