Rima Kallingal : Breaking stereotypes with panache

She defies conventions. And that has worked wonders for her. The four-film-old Rima Kallingal talks with the confidence and panache of an I-am-here-to-stay-and-know-what-I’m-doing actor. She loves her 'cosmopolitan' tag and is most comfortable being called sexy. Here’s more:

How did you become an actor?

I don't know if I wanted to be an actor but I wanted to be a performing artiste for sure, maybe because I was exposed to dance at a very young age. I loved being on the stage. I enjoyed it so much that I started thinking it would be great if I could make a career out of it. But I didn't know what to do about it until I went to Bangalooru. Before I got into films, for three years I was a professional contemporary dancer and that helped me ease into cinema. The Miss Kerala pageant, in which I was the first runner-up got me noticed and I started doing ads and some magazine covers. Director Lal Jose spotted me on one such cover and invited me for a screen test for his Tamil movie, Mazhai Varappoguthu. But the film didn't happen and I was planning to get back to dancing when director Shyamaprasad's Ritu was offered to me.

Was Ritu your kind of film?

Ritu gave me the kind of opening that I was looking forward to but I am not sure if it is my kind of film. My character almost had my kind of lifestyle, mannerisms and the way I dress and behave normally. In that sense, yes, I could identify with the film.

How close is your character Varsha in Ritu to the real Rima Kallingal?

I'm often asked this one. I am very similar to her and I have even added some elements from my real life to the movie. The way I talk, mixing English and Malayalam, and the way I dress for instance. To a large extent I am also opinionated in life and I have my own principles. I am quite like Varsha in that way as well.

You quite like your cosmopolitan tag, don’t you?

Obviously. This is who I am. I am definitely comfortable with it. The only issue I have is that I don't want this image to precipitate into all my roles. I don't want to be doing the same kind of bold roles every other day. That is also why I jumped at the offer when Neelathamara came my way. My character in this one is that of an innocent village girl, who doesn't know much about the world and gets fooled by her brother-in-law. It was a welcome change for me from the kind of roles I was being offered. Otherwise, I am very comfortable being known as an unconventional person. I don't mind it at all.

But the usual Malayali heroines are seen mostly in conventional clothing. Long skirts or saris…

I don't think youngsters today stick to only conventional clothing. I have been getting positive responses from people of all ages over my personal style. Perhaps, it's not just the youth; everyone is looking forward to some change.

Of course, I have lived in a village and I am used to wearing traditional outfits as well. Like, I was totally comfortable playing my character Sharathe Ammini in Neelathamara. It's just that for all those who had seen me in Ritu, it came as a huge surprise perhaps. And hopefully it was a pleasant one.

You've played a bar dancer in Happy Husbands, which is the kind of role that Malayali heroines are hesitant to do, though they don't mind being glamorous in films of other languages.

I had no problem playing a bar dancer but wasn’t sure if I should be doing a role like that soon after Ritu in which my character had a sort of grey shade. The director gave me the whole script of Happy Husbands. It wasn't a negative role and moreover, it was comedy film. Also, I seriously want to bring about a change. I don't really believe in having a different set of rules for different language films.

What kind of roles do you think you are best suited for?

I have done four films until now and I have this confidence that the viewers will accept me in any kind of role. I was happy being a part of Kerala Café and I think it was a welcome experiment. I don't want to be typecast. I want to get out of my comfort zone and do something challenging every time. I am looking forward to the kind of role that Jyothika did in Mozhi. I really would like to play characters of different age groups, varied appearances, dual roles and challenging stuff like that. Usually in our scheme of things, only male actors get the opportunities to exploit their versatile acting talent.

Do you feel that youngsters get sidelined in the Malayalam industry?

I used to feel so earlier, but not anymore. After films like Neelathamara, Ritu and certain projects like the forthcoming Apoorvaragam, I think the industry is accepting the idea that with a good script and good performances even a young cast can deliver a hit. If the youngsters can carry it off, scripts will be written for them, like it happened for Manju Warrier and Revathy in the past. There's no point in complaining. Instead, we need to make a change.