I laugh at the silliest jokes, says actress Matangi Prasan

The classical dance performer believes that comedy is a challenging genre

Matangi Prasan is back on screen with ‘Navelru... Half Boiled’. After the release of ‘Kahi’ directed by Arvind Shastry a few years ago, the actress concentrated on her dance career. In a candid chat with Metrolife, she talks about working in the film and more.

Tell us about the film.

‘Navelru... Half Boiled’ is a comedy film which will entertain everyone. The story is about four unemployed bachelors who get caught in a situation and how they try to get out of it.

What about the role impressed you to take it up?

One of the four bachelors, Ranga, assists at a garage, and I play Geetha, the garage owner’s daughter. My character tries to influence him and change his attitude to life. Ranga has a romantic interest in me. Geetha is a quiet person, which is quite a contrast to who I am. In real life, I am a talkative person. Playing such a role came with its own set of challenges and I knew the role would push me as an actor.

How did you prepare for your role?

I didn’t have to specifically train for the role. The director wanted a traditional-looking girl and I fit the bill.

Do you feel that the break after ‘Kahi’ was too long?

A lot of time passed by but I believe that it happened for a reason. In these three years, I built a good dancing career. As a freelance artiste, I was working with three to four dance companies at a time. I realised that giving dates to movies was difficult when I was committed to those companies. On the brighter side, I got to travel the world and visit many beautiful places.

Did other roles come your way during these years?

I heard a few scripts but nothing excited me or was convincing enough. I was focused on dancing during this period, and trained in martial arts too.

How did you manage shooting for the film while managing your dance career?

The entire shoot for ‘Navelru... Half Boiled’ happened in Davangare and kept me away from Bengaluru. I asked my colleague to handle my dance classes and I did not commit to any dance performances then.

Your earlier film had a dark subject and this one is a comedy. Was the shooting for this film different?

Comedy is very different. It becomes even more challenging when experts in the field like Tabla Nani and Devadas Kapikad are present in the film. Several times, while shooting scenes with them, I almost burst out laughing. This would happen even during scenes where I was expected to cry. I laugh at the silliest jokes. Comedy is all about timing and was challenging for me. I had to force myself to not laugh and stay in character in many scenes.

Are there any other projects in the pipeline?

I will be seen in ‘Puksatte Life’, alongside Sanchari Vijay, Rangayana Raghu and Achyuth Kumar. I am looking forward to the release of the film, as I loved my character in it.

Is there a particular subject or story you want to work with?

Since I have been training in martial arts for a few years, I would love to work in an action-oriented film. I also want to do roles that challenge me; I don’t want to play a docile girl.