My husband Tharun is my most honest supporter: Sonal Monteiro

It’s been five months since actress Sonal Monteiro got married to her director-husband Tharun Kishore Sudhir. With renewed energy, she tells us she is back on the sets. Her first release post wedding will be Lohith’s science fiction, time-loop film, Rakshasa, where she is paired alongside Prajwal Devaraj. “I signed this film just before the wedding, and we just shot for a day. The rest I shot post wedding after a short break. Lohith is known for bringing strong women characters on screen, and this is no different. I have a very small role, and I play a married woman. We are currently shooting part two; in fact, the second part will release first, followed by its prequel. My character is such that six out of 10 married women will connect with my role as it carefully curates the little things they go through. Shooting this, post my wedding, was special and exciting. I have always been someone who sees the potential of my character, and not who the hero is. My mantra is, irrespective of who the lead is, people should remember my character,” she shares.

Married to a family that celebrates cinema, Sonal says she now has a strong guiding force that helps her navigate through a sea of characters and land on something exceptional. “When I came to the industry, I had no Godfather. In the past, I left some real good films thinking they wouldn’t suit me, and repented later. Now, I have someone who has seen the industry from much earlier, and who knows the industry better than me. When I say this, I don’t mean he interferes with my work, but he comes to my rescue whenever I am confused or need guidance. The other day, I sent him a look from my other film I was shooting, and he immediately said, “Sonal, don’t you think the make-up is too much?” No one would have told me that, and I wanted someone who was this honest with me. We don’t discuss scripts exactly, but we do have each other every time we need an opinion on something. Five months into our wedding, he has been a huge guiding force not just in cinema, but in every aspect of life, too,” Sonal says.
“Cinema always makes its way when we sit together as a family. My mother-in-law has been part of the theatre since forever. Both my husband and brother-in-law are filmmakers. So, obviously our day is incomplete without discussing films and everything related to cinema,” she says.
“Post wedding, the only thing that has changed is my address, and the rest of everything has just been the same, even on the sets. Yes, I often get asked about Tharun and his projects, but that’s about it,” she says.