I felt I'd be getting to grow as a person by doing the lead role in Jameela: Tanvi Rao

Kannada actress and dancer Tanvi Rao, who has also acted in Hindi films like Gulaab Gang and Guns Of Benaras, made her debut in Tamil with the television serial Jameela. The actress is excited to be stepping into a new industry and spoke to us about how she landed the offer, why she related to the character, how her team helps with the language and more...
I had given an audition for a different show at an earlier time, but then, the makers got in touch with me and they said they'd like me to do this role.They gave me a two-liner about what Jameela is about and what the character is like. There are very few stories which you genuinely want to be part of, and this was one of those. I was then doing a Kannada show, which I had already committed to. But since that was also for the same channel, I had to pull some strings and they were helpful in sorting out the dates so that I could do both.
I was sent a small teaser, and I was told that they were for the first time trying to show a different culture — a Muslim household — and at the same time, it was also going to be about a girl pursuing her passion — of becoming a singer. Something about it really connected to me because I myself am fed up with the kind of TV shows we see on a daily basis, as most of them are mainly about marriages and family fights. This came to me at a time when I was really unsatisfied with the stories that were on screen. It felt like an opportunity to learn about a different culture. I went to my theatre teacher, who happens to be a Muslim and spent an entire day with him, observing how they eat, how they perform the namaz and other rituals. I also tried to read the Quran. I felt I'd be getting to grow as a person by doing this role, and at the same time, I could relate to the character's aspirations. I was a good student, a high-ranking one, but when I wanted to take up arts, my family questioned me on why I couldn't take up a real job. So, when they told me this girl wants to be a singer, is from a very middle-class family, one with a dark past, I found it very interesting and highly relatable.

I have done work in Kannada and Hindi, and they are both languages I know. When I was offered this role, the first thing I told them was that I didn't know the language. They said they'd help me out on the set, with prompting and so on. I have to thank the production house and the channel because they provided me with somebody who would translate the script to me in English. I started recording his voice so that I could understand the pronunciation. Even my co-actors and everybody on the set were very sweet and always helping me. I think our set is a very warm place to be learning a new language and I think that's why I've been able to cope. Initially, I was very nervous as I did not know how I would manage leading a television show, in which we would be shooting a minimum of seven to eight scenes daily. I think I'm at a much better position now and can understand Tamil to a good extent and that's because of our team.
I take my roles pretty seriously. In fact, if I don't do a shot up to my satisfaction, I get very disappointed, take that home with me and even cry over it. It is frustrating, tiring and all that, but I think it's also that if you really enjoy what you're doing and the focus of your work is to bring out the character, and when it gives you some sort of satisfaction when you finally watch it on screen, I think you can keep going on.