Cannot Keep Delivering a Mahanati Every Time
From playing Savitri in Mahanati to portraying a formidable gangster in Netflix’s Akka, Keerthy Suresh explores diverse roles. Making her series debut, the actor discusses unconventional characters, navigating film industries, and her possible directorial debut
A royal gangster
Playing an underworld matriarch in a world set in a different time and space was an exciting prospect for Keerthy. “This is not something that I’ve done before. What I love about Akka is the world. It’s a fictitious world that looks very real. Also, when you say ‘gangster’, you always have a different kind of vibe that comes to mind. These Akkas are royal gangsters; they are ruling kingdoms, and that really excited me. When you think of gangsters, you think of guns, smoke and a lot of energy. But here is a woman who is calm, composed and knows how to anchor herself in any given situation. This also comes from the entire royal factor. The juxtaposition of a calculating yet calm woman was very interesting.”
Story over screen time
Recently seen in an extended cameo as the titular character in Karthik Subbaraj’s Dorothy, the actor says her choices are not dictated by screen time but by a role’s contribution to the larger story. “Even if I’m playing the same kind of character, how different is it in terms of the role, the vulnerability and the layers? It’s always nice to play different characters, irrespective of screen time. In Dorothy, too, I didn’t have to work for many days, and many around me were worried about what I could bring to a film. But for me, the story mattered. If actors like Vijay Deverakonda and Samantha Ruth Prabhu had felt they had little to do in Mahanati, we wouldn’t have had the film we did. Everyone, including was willing to contribute to the story, and that made all the difference.”
Life after Mahanati
Keerthy began her career as a child artiste in Malayalam cinema before transitioning to lead roles. Films such as Idhu Enna Maayam, Rajinimurugan and Nenu Sailaja established her as a leading actor, while Mahanati marked a major turning point in her career, earning her the National Film Award. “Until Mahanati, I didn’t get many meaty roles. But that one film changed my life. People’s perceptions of you change, as do the roles they offer you. But I cannot keep delivering a Mahanati every time. I want to explore different characters and experiment. People often say it’s my best performance and expect something similar. I understand that, but it’s difficult. It has been a journey of struggles and learning. I’m enjoying the process, and every five years, when I look back, I’m happy with the way things have turned out.”
Juggling industries
Keerthy’s upcoming projects include the Tamil film Sathyavan Savithiri, Telugu film Rowdy Janardhana, co-starring Vijay Deverakonda, and Vidudala, which is scheduled to release in January 2027.. “All these are extremely different kinds of characters, and what I love most is juggling between industries and switching between the different kinds of meters you have to perform in. That’s the excitement — going beyond what I would normally do and being able to experiment. I think it’s a blessing and has been a great learning experience. So I’m glad about where I am today.”
Move into direction?
A prolific writer herself, Keerthy is also considering a move into direction, adapting her writing for the screen.“Maybe it’ll take a while, but yeah, it is in the process,” she says.
Highlight: “What I love most is juggling between industries and switching between the different kinds of meters you have to perform in. That’s the excitement — going beyond what I would normally do and being able to experiment.”
