A college student pursuing her second year graduation, she has been a professional model for almost three years. Now set to don a new role on the small screen, Jeevitha H, a dancer, model and now actor talks about her new tele venture Janaki Raghava, and how she landed up facing the camera while she was busy walking the ramp, and doing photoshoots, and more.
“It was during my PUC, when I first walked the ramp for a college event and bagged the title Ms Carmel that I was noticed. It was a regular event to boost the confidence of students at Mount Carmel College. One of the judges was a former Ms Bengaluru who was very impressed with my talent, and encouraged me to take up modelling. A year later, I was the runner up at the Mr & Ms Bengaluru 2014 and thereafter my journey began as a model even as I pursued academics,” says Jeevitha.
Talking about her debut on Kannada TV, she explains that it was director Vinu Balanja who also stays in her apartment block who noticed her and contacted her mother about the latest venture. “I knew nothing about acting but when the director approached me, and the audition took place, I was offered the role of Janaki. The role is completely opposite to what I am in real life,” she says.
In reality, Jeevitha feels that she is far more stylish and bold while Janaki is soft and mature, and a devotee of Sri Ram. “I have hardly worn traditional attire like langa davani apart from family functions. But as Janaki, a hard-working responsible girl, I have to wear it. Also, I have never performed any household chore, it was indeed a challenge to portray an entirely different personality on TV,” she says.
The model-turned-actress says that it is her parents who have always been a great support to her. “When I started modelling, it was my parents who encouraged me along with preparing me with requisite knowledge and basic training. They would cross-check every detail for a safer and trusted path to pursue my interest. It was the same when I started my small screen venture. Even my aunt, who has been in the small screen industry for over a decade helped me immensely. My aunt Renuka is presently working in three serials including Kulavadhu where she plays the mother’s role to the male lead,” Jeevitha says. A trained junior degree Bharatanatyam dancer and an intermediate level belly dancer, she can perform contemporary, Western and Bollywood dance with ease and hopes to use this prowess as well.
