Malavika trains in Chenda

“It was because I liked the character,” says the actor, who will be donning the role of a traditional Malayali woman in Ponnambili, broadcasts in Mazhavil Manorama.

“It is a female-oriented subject and I play the character Ponnambili, who is a bold woman,” says Malavika. “The character appealed to me because she is entirely different from the regular meek characters in serials we are familiar with. While listening to the story, I felt that Ponnambili would provide me a new image among viewers, especially television audience. Even from movies, I haven’t got such a promising role. That was one reason for taking up this project,” she adds.

Malavika’s character in the serial is a percussionist. She plays the chenda in a temple. To bring perfection to the character, Malavika took chenda classes for one month. “I practised under the guidance of master Aji. I understood the basics of the chenda within this one month’s training. It requires a lot of effort to study it. However, if you have a good sense of rhythm, grasping it would be easier,” says Malavika who has just completed the second schedule of the serial.

Shooting of Ponnambili is taking place in a mana in Kakkanad, Kochi. And Malavika says that it has been a new experience to her. “Shooting for serials is completely different from film shooting. A cinema will get over within a few months. However, in serials, you need to retain the traits of a character for a long time,” says Malavika, who has not committed to any film projects.

“I am not doing movies because I have to continue my studies. I have completed my distance course in English Literature. Now, I am looking forward to do post graduation. I want to study that in a college. I don’t think serials would pose any hindrance to my studies, because I need to spend only a few days for serials in a month. But, that does not mean that I would continue doing soaps,” concludes Malavika.