Talented, without a doubt! Bahrain girl Miraya Varma in Mollywood

Her tall, exotic looks are a clear indication that she would be at home on modeling ramps. Turns out that Miraya Varma is not only a model, but has several other hidden talents.

Miraya is a singer, a dancer, an actor as well as a good cook. Bahrain-based Miraya is currently in Kochi to act in the film Kelvi, a bi-lingual directed by Hashim Marikar.

Friends of Miraya’s mother recommended her name to Hashim, who in turn got in touch with her. She explains, “He asked me if I was interested in acting and since I have been part of the entertainment industry, I did not see any reason not to accept the role. In fact, I had been waiting for a good launch pad and this seemed to be the one. At the risk of sounding clichéd, the role is very different from a regular Malayalam movie and it has a Hollywood feel to it. I play this fun, happy-go-lucky girl in the film.”

Everyone is wondering how the Bahrain-born Miraya can fit into the Malayalam industry and she surprises when she reveals that she can speak Tamil and Malayalam.

She explains, “My parents were based in Chennai before they left for Bahrain and my mom is from Palakkad; hence, my knowledge of both the languages! The only problem is that sometimes I use Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi and English to complete a sentence!”

In fact, her parents watch a lot of south Indian films and recommend them to her. Ask her about favourite actors, Miraya says, “I like senior stars more than the new gen ones. My favourites are Mohanlal, Mammootty and Jayaram since I have grown up watching their films.”

Her singing career that takes precedence over all other talents. She learned dance until her mom spotted her talent for singing. She is fond of R&B music. She is now planning to work with a top Punjabi Bollywood artiste on a music video, which is a mix of Arabic and Punjabi that will have her singing as well as acting. “You have to expand your horizons if you want to reach somewhere!” she says.