Bollywood actor Mithila Palkar is eager to break away from stereotypical roles and portray a variety of characters on the silver screen. The actor, who gained popularity with her roles in web series and films such as Little Things, Girl In The City, Karwaan and Tribhanga, has carved a niche for herself as the ‘girl next door’. But she is all set to venture into new spaces, as she awaits the release of her Telugu debut, Ori Devuda. TNM caught up with the actor ahead of the film’s release, and talked about topics ranging from her views on Tollywood, her role as Anu in Ori Devuda, and breaking away from the norm.
Ori Devuda stars Vishwak Sen, Asha Bhat, and Mithila as Anu in the lead. “Anu is a layered character. She is very mature and very clear about what she wants from her career and her love life, yet she is also emotional and possessive of Arjun,” she said. She also praised director Ashwath and his vision for the film. “I love when female characters can breathe on screen and have great personalities. They can be their own selves and nobody needs to save them from anything; they are their own people. This kind of representation is important to me, even if it is in a 10-minute role.”
Mithila also said that while Anu is a girl-next-door character, it was challenging to portray her in a new language and setting. “If it was a different genre, it would have become difficult for me with the language barrier, and I would have become more nervous. But now that I am more comfortable with the language, I'm open to different roles (in the industry) and can experiment more.” Mithila, who first gained popularity with her roles in web series, also said that she is now actively focussing on doing more films, especially story-driven ones.
“I'm actively trying to break away from the girl-next-door roles. In the projects that I am currently working on, I have tried something new. They are yet to be out, so I can't comment much on that,” she added.
Mithila also shared her experience with the Telugu film industry, both as an actor and an audience member. “As an audience member, Tollywood has always been a place of grandeur. And that didn’t change much, even as an actor,” she said, while also expressing her love for Hyderabadi food.
She further spoke about dealing with trolls on social media. “If there are ten good comments and one bad comment, it does affect me. But we should actively move forward by keeping our head on shoulders and not letting it affect us. I know it's easier said than done and not easy to apply in life. But, still, I can't change others' opinions and try to convince them. It's better to keep ourselves clear and not to break.”
Ori Devuda is a Telugu remake of the Tamil film Oh My Kadavule, which was released in 2020. The Telugu version stars Vishwak Sen, Asha Bhat and Mithila Palkar in the lead roles, with Venkatesh Daggubati appearing in a special role. The film, directed by Ashwath, is set to release on Friday, October 21, on the occasion of Deepavali.