mNo one will easily forget Radhika as Raziya in one of the best campus films in Layaal, ‘Classmates’. After a short hiatus, Radhika is all set to make her comeback in cinema with Manju Warrier starrer ‘Ayesha’. Radhika shares her details with the media.
• 23 years in cinema
In fact, I have not even thought about the calculation of these years. Vietnam was colonized when he was in the fourth grade. I did all my favorite movies in the ones I searched for later. The happiness was that people liked all those characters. I am a firm believer that every type of career has its ups and downs. I have never felt sad that I didn’t get a character like Razia. To tell the truth, I have not missed movies after marriage. I am enjoying life. When I was making the movie ‘Ayesha’, all the crew members used to ask why you didn’t do the movie for so long, didn’t you miss the movie and so on. But the movie was not missed. Maybe because the film took a break at every stage, this little gap didn’t feel like a gap to me. And I have not done any interviews, self-promotion etc. No one has been bothered by asking for an opportunity. Movies may have declined due to such reasons.
• Some long break
The occasional gaps in the film are not deliberate. It happens often. Such breaks happen because people don’t approach good projects or because they don’t get emotionally attached to the characters they give. And nowhere has he said that he will not do the film again. But when I settled down in Dubai after marriage and life shifted to such a space, naturally others thought that I will not do films. Or, maybe the reason why the filmmakers did not get any calls was because of the thought that all things like my transportation would be practically possible. There were no phone calls from my side either for the film or for the opportunity. When I became like that and did not approach people, the gap came again. Then, the Ayesha movie came like an assignment. The full shoot of that film was in Dubai. I loved it when the people of that film called and told me about the character. Moreover, Manju feels lucky to do a character through out with Chechi.
• Even those who don’t know Radhika know Razia
Classmates is the movie that made me Razia. A lot of people still don’t know my name. The people who see me come running to me by calling me Razia. Somehow this happens everywhere. People recognize me and approach me in the name of Razia. Then some people will ask if the name is Gopika. Recently, during the shooting of Ayesha movie, when Manju sister and I went shopping, some people came to take photos with us. They also know Razia, but they don’t know my real name. They asked if her name was Gopika. Then Manju chechi, who was standing next to me, jokingly held it and said that it was the same. This is the reason why I even had to add the name Razia to my Instagram public profile.
• Experiences of classmates
It’s been 17 years since Classmates came out. Shooting experiences have a lot to say. At that location, except for me, all the rest were familiar and experienced people. All of them were staying together in a resort. In the morning, everyone used to have a good workout with a trainer. But no one allowed me to run or jump. If you keep jumping and running, everyone there would make fun of you saying that they won’t get to see you. If I am on location, I am putting curtains full time. Therefore, just before the start of the shoot, I would take the curtain. All the people who came to watch the shoot called me bat. There are so many experiences.
• Now in Laljos movie
Lal Chetan’s appearance as Razia in the movie Classmate was a coincidence. Lalu Chetan was my brother’s friend. But he has never asked for an opportunity or walked behind the scenes for a film. But it happened by chance. When such a role came up, he remembered me, assigned the role and I did it. I never asked him for opportunities after that film. I want him to call me whenever he feels like it when he gets a role that he feels like doing with me. And I’m not one to go by expectations. I live in what happens now. Everything came as ordered. I like to believe that they are all God-given.
And after Razia, my favorite character is Marathakam in Ghost House Inn. The 15-day shoot was really something I took the effort out of. The experience of shooting that character and location is unforgettable. And I believe that it doesn’t matter if you feel that Malayalam was not considered enough. In this regard, there may be a small problem at the beginning of the film. But we have learned to look after ourselves and find happiness without giving time to depression or other thoughts.
• Magha and Ashiq Abu
In 2004, I last acted in the album Magham directed by Ashiq Abu. I made the album about a year before classmates. The song I did in that album was good to listen to. Utumalpet was the location of that song. There were beautiful views, starting with the sunflower field. At the time of that work, Aashiq was the assistant of Abu Kamal sir. We could understand at that time that Aashiq would become a good director in the future. Even after that, I acted in Aashiq’s movie Daddycool. I have played the role of Mili in it.
• East Coast eras of signature songs
I was called to act in the East Coast album when I was making the film One Manshow. The content I got was that a Muslim Oppanapat is shooting himself as Oppana. And who doesn’t like to listen to songs. When I was in school, I even participated in oppanas as a bride. So I accepted the job. That’s how the song Palnilapunchiri in the album was done. After that I have done shows in Gulf countries related to that song. Not many songs have been done for the East Coast. Only four or five songs were done. But because all of them were hits, she became known as the heroine through those songs. I am a music fan. That’s why I played that song very much.
• Ayesha and Manju Chechi
I had about 45 days of shooting for Ayesha. Most of the scenes were with Manju Chechi. And there are people in different languages in Ayesha’s movie. Many of them do not know Malayalam, they were learning Malayalam on location. It was at that location that my companions introduced me to the other foreign language actors working with me about my character in Classmates. It was a fun experience. The boy who played Akif in the movie Ayesha finally learned Malayalam and started reciting the dialogues of his classmates. These are very beautiful memories. I used to enjoy the moments with Manju chechi a lot in the company. Manju Chechi is the person I wanted to meet for many years. I have not been able to see my sister or spend time with her as much as I wanted. Therefore, I see this as something that happened like luck. Even during the shoot, in some scenes, I forgot our character and at the same time, the wonder that Manju Warrier was standing right in front of him came to my mind. The task in front of me was to finish a long story in a single shot, in a single take. That’s why I studied the whole conversation without seeing it and prayed to God to wait. That scene was okay in one take. It can be done well. After that, Manju Chechi told me that I was really listening to that dialogue as if I was listening to a story. Such comments made me very happy. Similarly, one day when I was standing with my veil, Manju sister who came there saw me and called me Razia and came near. Such moments make me more and more happy.
• Dubai life is chill
Dubai is my favorite place. Even before marriage, I used to come to Dubai from time to time as my brother was here. There is a closeness to this country even in those days. That’s why I felt happy when I was told that a boy from Dubai is coming to marry me. Here we can walk outside any midnight. It is because of that belief and assurance of safety that this city becomes very popular. Also there will be a surprise here every day. Even the flowers planted on the road here are a surprise for us. I like Dubai a lot. And because my partner is cool, we are always going around and enjoying life here.
• Upcoming projects
Currently I am not committed to any work. If there are characters that I feel close to mentally, I will definitely do such characters.