Bangalore girl and theatre artiste Jahnavi Kamath stumbled into films, but she’s now convinced she’s here to stay

When did you know you wanted to act?

I’ve always wanted to be in entertainment. It’s just that over the years my interests have changed from being a VJ, to dancing, to being a part of theatre troupes and then acting just happened. I was in college when I performed for the first time in a huge production that involved more than a hundred actors. I was given a prominent role and was cast in the successive performance the very next year. It was then that I knew I loved theatre and decided to be an actor.

How did you decide to take on acting as a career?

I enrolled in an acting school in Mumbai after I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in journalism from Bangalore. The course taught me to understand the smallest and most important nuances of acting. I was also readied for the camera and I am thankful for that.

Did the offers start pouring in straightaway?

I returned to Bangalore and began working with theatre groups before my first offer came. It was a Kannada film called Chitrana? The film is complete, but the release is delayed. The role as the female protagonist was amazing, especially since this was my first.

And then Kollywood?

Someone from the crew of Chitrana? referred me to the producer of the Tamil film. This being Ramesh’s debut as a director and my debut (technically) in a Tamil film, it all seemed to work out fine. The lead male actor Dileep also debuts in this film.

Tell us more about the film.

The film has been titled Puthiya Kaaviyam and the shoot was mostly around Mettur in Salem and Chennai. Being a rural-themed film, I play a college-going village girl who’s happy with life. I play Dileep’s love interest. The film revolves around him and how he saves his village. The film should be out in May.

Any more offers?

I have one more film that I have accepted in Tamil again, this time with a debut director called Balan. This film will also be opposite Dileep, and will be a rural-themed film in which I play a more independent and assertive woman.

So, will it be just films and more films now?

I will take on more plays whenever I find something interesting because real acting happens only on the stage. I will continue to model when assignments come my way.