Shwetha R Prasad today needs no introduction. She is best known as Radha from the popular series Radha Ramana, which is telecast on Colors Kannada. Her depiction of a docile and timid teacher has a huge fan following now.
The actor reveals that she “never dreamt” of being an actor. Talking of how she forayed into the world of television, she says, “I post images of myself on my FB page. One particular image of mine, wearing a salwar suit, caught the attention of Shruti Naidu (TV serial producer-director). I was called to audition and I freaked out and said no. But she insisted that I meet her once.”
Meet Shruti she did and was immediately given a costume and asked to audition for the show. “That was the most dreadful moment in my life. I was frightened and everything I did was a blunder. It was a simple take where I had to walk and wipe my face and say a few lines. I messed it up and it took nine takes!,” laughs Shwetha who continued to insist to the team that she was not cut out for this field.
“Shruti observed that my Kannada and my memory were good and she took it upon herself to train me as an actor. And I was called the next day for the shoot,” adds the actor who is married to R Pradeepa who is currently busy directing a web series.
Her career started with her donning the lead role on Zee Kannada Shrirastu Shubhamastu, which went on to be a huge hit, running for one-and-a-half years with over 600-odd episodes.
Acting, however, did not come easy, reveals the petite actress. “Ramesh Indira was directing the serial and one day raised his voice and I was left in tears and felt I was unfit for this industry. The next day he had forgotten all about it. When he got to know how I was affected by his outburst, he took special care when talking to me and started tutoring me and I too started learning,” she recalls.
She was happy as she had to just “be myself. I am always happy and never cry. So when there was a scene that required me to break down, I panicked. I tried using glycerine and crying. The crew rolled with laughter saying I was horrible at crying. Trying to do emotional scenes did take a while,” she laughs.
Once the serial was complete, she took a break and went back to being an architect. “I was just beginning to settle down when I got a call from Colours Kannada offering me a role in Radha Ramana.
Today Shwetha is a household name and fans love her as Radha. “This is a totally different story. It is about how love blossoms between a couple who are in a contract marriage.”
While the serial is a huge hit, Shwetha agrees that “monotony does kick in at times as the role continues in a predictable manner. People, however, connect with the character as new situations arise in every episode.”
She attributes the success of the serial to “its content, which is king, the makers, and the brilliant team that works behind and on screen.” Shwetha says, the debate of whether cinema or TV is better has always been there. “Serials come every day, it is free apart from a monthly rental. A movie on the other hand, you have to go out, pay and watch. Cinema actors will be known only by those who watch films, but TV actors are known in every household,” observes Shwetha, who now is looking forward to her first film release — Kal Bettada Darodekoraru,which will hit the screen next year.
“It is based on a book by the same same. I have a small role. It is not a commercial film. I am not bothered about my time on screen, but rather the strength of the character. I recently refused a commercial film, where I was a glamour doll. I don’t believe in just having three songs and a few scenes with the hero in a film. I am here to be something meaningful.”