No more Poo-Poohing - in conversation with Malvika Raaj
Ava Bailey news
Malvika shot for Squad during the pandemic.
“We went to Belarus twice. The first time we went, it was before coronavirus struck and the second time we went was when the virus was raging. In fact, I had just recovered and we had to leave for the shoot,” she says. She adds that a strict protocol was followed on the sets. Everyone was tested twice daily, and the sanitation process upon entering the set took 20 minutes. “Apart from the pandemic, there was also political unrest in Belarus the second time we went. There were riots and we were told to be careful. But I guess going through such experiences makes your life more interesting.” The actor plays a sniper in the action thriller and had to train hard to look the
part. She mentions she trained with real guns.“I am into fitness and have played sports but action in movies is something very different. My classes and workshops have always been on acting, dancing or diction. I’ve never really trained in MMA or combat action. A trainer came from Poland and trained us for six months.”
Rinzing and she were pals since school and hence acting alongside him wasn’t awkward for her. They bonded together from day one.“Both of us were very enthusiastic. We wanted to do all our stunts ourselves. We used to wake up early and go to the sets before time. I’ve known Rinzing all my life. We were in school together. Our dads are also good friends. So it was very comfortable working with him,” she reveals.
Malvika lights up when asked to describe her first day on Karan Johar’s most loved family entertainer. She narrates that she first faced the camera in the company of Kajol. “The first shot was Kajol’s entry where she yells, “Jeet gaye”. We were sitting in that halwai shop and I was getting ready. I love watching myself in the mirror. There were three boys who were always with me in the film. One of them was holding my mirror in front of me and while they were setting the shot, I kept asking the boy to hold the mirror properly. Karan liked it so much, he asked me to do that in my first shot for the film.”
Malvika, who is also a model, loves to dress up and travel. She thinks her sartorial inclination is the only thing she shares with Poo from K3G, “I love dressing up, so that’s one similarity. But I’m very grounded and focused and Poo was more about living in the moment. She’s the ‘hallelujah’ girl. Only the glamour is the common thing.”
Being a famous child artiste can come with some amount of baggage. Malvika says she never felt any pressure and rather enjoys the attention she gets for being Poo even now. She said it’s a part of who she is. “I played Poo when I was a kid. So there’s no way one can typecast me into that role today. There is no baggage there. The work I do as an adult will be my calling card now and I hope I get the same love in the future as well.” More on: Malvika Raaj
