I don't believe in doing 10 movies and failing in all

It's easy to get swayed when filmmakers line up at your doorstep with offers, but Mayuri has consciously decided to be choosy. She became a household name with the hit TV series Ashwini Nakshatra, and had a dream filmi debut with Krishna Leela. Her second film, Ishtakamya, is helmed by an established filmmaker, Nagathihalli Chandrashekhar. In the days leading to the release of the film, Mayuri tells BT about what she has learnt from her director, her dream role, and why she will always be selective when picking films'
What is your character like in Ishtakamya?
I play Achari, who is a young girl from Malnad.She is from a regular family, and has a lot of responsibilities at a young age. She is at an age when she wants to fall in love, and the story is about what happens when she does. It's a very strong character as this young girl has had many life experiences, because of which she is exposed to many different aspects of life.
Did you relate to your Achari?
As actors, we try and connect with all our characters, but I can't say that Mayuri is Achari. There are some attributes that I can relate to, but I am not completely like her.
What was it like working with Nagathihalli Chandrashekhar?
It was very nice. He is a senior filmmaker and his style of working is very different. He treats everyone equally ' be it a senior artiste or a technician. He treats us like his kids, and calls us mari and putta. He also gave us space to get into the skin of the character. We shot for 60 days non-stop and that helped when it came to essaying our characters ' we were in the same atmosphere and even ate the same food as our characters for the complete duration of the shoot. I have learnt a lot about ethics and morals from Nagathihalli sir, and hope to work with him again in the future.
What special preparation did you have to undergo for Ishtakamya?
Performance-wise, there were no preparations as such. I was keen on my look as I had to convincingly look like a regular, young girl. My makeup was very subtle, my hair was tied into a ponytail and I only wore cotton salwars. Apart from that, I had to work on my dialogue delivery as the accent of Kannada was different.

You have been selective about film offers. What about this movie appealed to you?
I've always been cautious about my projects. I started working at a very young age, so I am mature beyond my years. Since it was Nagahithali sir's film, I was sure that my role wouldn't be restricted to just two scenes and songs. I want to perform in each movie and leave a mark. People have known me as a performer, and mestru (Nagathihalli) approached me in that way and gave me a big responsibility with this role. I will continue to be choosy about my roles as I don't believe in doing 10 movies and failing in all of them; I would rather do one movie and do it well. I am more interested in making a name for myself; wealth will follow.
What is your dream role?
I want to do a range of characters. Ashwini (from the TV series Ashwini Nakshatra) was different from Leela (from Krishna Leela), who is different from Achari. I want each movie to be unique. But I do have a lot of dreams; for e.g., I want to dress up as a goddess. I would love to do comic and action roles, but I am just starting out and it's too early for me to say that I want to do a specific role. I want to play different roles, so that I can decided what suits me best. I am open to anything.
You have confessed to being a foodie. How do you stay in shape?
I'm from Hubballi, and we like oily and spicy food. I've been in Bengaluru for 3.5 years and after shifting here, I've started liking Italian food. But stardom restricts the kind of food you eat, so I've become more conscious about my diet. I workout for at least one hour every day. I also meditate and do pranayama.
What do you like doing in your free time?
I listen to all kinds of music and read a lot of articles in Kannada, Hindi and English papers. I love sleeping, so I do that when I find the time. Apart from that, I watch several reality shows. I trained as a freestyle dancer for nearly 14 years, and I still love dancing. But I don't really get the time to do so. I hope to show off my talent if I am offered a dance-related movie.
How often do you go to Hubballi?
I go whenever I get the time, which is every month or so, to meet my parents. But they keep coming here, with several gifts and food. They haven't moved to Bengaluru yet, since it's a big responsibility for me to shift my parents here, but my mom spends a lot of time here and even accompanies me on my shoots.