Kamakshi Bhaskarla talks about ‘Agadha’ and her journey

Everyone is familiar with Kamakshi Bhaskarla’s choice of films and stories, as well as the success she has been achieving. Known for taking up content-driven projects, Kamakshi Bhaskarla is now gearing up for the release of ‘Agadha’, which is set to hit the screens tomorrow (August 14).

Ahead of the release, Kamakshi interacted with the media and spoke about ‘Agadha’, her character, her journey in the film industry and her future plans.

Kamakshi said she was extremely happy when senior producer Shyam Prasad Reddy compared her with Anushka. She added that being compared to Anushka garu by someone like him made her feel more responsible.

Speaking about the costumes in ‘Agadha’, Kamakshi said everything can be attributed to Raju garu’s vision. He wanted the film to look different from the very beginning, though she initially found it a little difficult to carry herself in that kind of saree.

She revealed that the team conducted workshops and rehearsals well in advance for the action sequences. While minor difficulties on set are natural, the entire team worked hard, which helped them achieve a great output.

Talking about her character Mahadevi, Kamakshi said it took her time to transform herself for the role. She had to put Kamakshi aside and completely adapt herself to the character. Mahadevi is a character born out of divine grace. Kamakshi read books on Buddhism, learned about black magic, studied every mudra and understood the character’s mannerisms and behaviour. She took great care to ensure that Kamakshi should not be visible anywhere in the film.

Kamakshi also recalled how happy she was when M.S. Raju garu called her. She said ‘Manasantha Nuvve’ is an all-time favourite of hers. When he approached her for ‘Agadha’, she was extremely happy. He had also watched her film ‘Polimera’. She admires the powerful characters in his films and wanted the experience of working with him.

While recalling her nine-year journey, Kamakshi became emotional. She questioned why films featuring women are immediately labelled female-centric, while films featuring male actors are not called male-centric. She said women handle multiple responsibilities every day and wondered why female characters on screen should not also be independent.

Since 2019, Kamakshi has been waiting for the right opportunities. She gave countless auditions, including for small roles, and worked hard to establish herself. She revealed that she still does not own a car and comes on her bike. She said people now recognise her on the roads and even follow her (laughs). Coming from a middle-class family, she said owning a car is a big thing for them.

She also recalled bitter experiences where people judged her based on the actors she had worked with.

She said there were instances where people rejected her after learning that she had acted alongside Satyam Rajesh and felt that judging artists based on their co-stars was completely wrong.