Malavika Mohanan: 5 facts of the gorgeous diva who was supposed to make her Tollywood debut opposite Vijay Deverakonda

Though she is a typical Malayali, Malavika Mohanan was born and brought up in Mumbai. She breezed into Mollywood like a breath of fresh air in Pattam Pole (2013) and subsequently featured in a handful of films across multiple languages like Kannada, Hindi and Tamil. However, tables turned for the stunning beauty when she was selected by acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi for Beyond the Clouds. Following her successful audition, the foreign director zeroed on the young diva ahead of renowned actresses like Deepika Padukone and Kangana Ranaut.

Early this year, Malavika Mohanan was finalised as the leading lady opposite Vijay Deverakonda in Hero. Helmed by writer-turned-director Anand Annamalai, the sports-drama shows Vijay as a professional biker and he also took training for the role. However, speculations say that the project has been shelved indefinitely due to some difference of opinion in the script. While an official confirmation is awaited, we wish to see Malavika as soon as possible on the Telugu celluloid.

Malavika Mohanan is the daughter of renowned Bollywood choreographer KU Mohanan who has handled the lens for superhit films like Talaash, Raees, Jab Harry Met Sejal, Lust Stories, Andhadhun and Maharshi. When asked if the filmy connection helped her bag good offers, the 28-year-old actress replied that people are interested in star kids’ rather than technicians. However, she rues the fact that the children of people working behind the camera aren’t made to feel so welcome compared to an actor’s offspring. “In fact, Majidi sir didn’t even know my father was part of the industry until 15 days into the shooting.”

The leggy lass admits that being in front of the camera was the last thing on her mind after graduation in media studies and advertisement. During this crucial juncture, she happened to accompany her father when the latter was shooting a fairness cream with Mammootty in Mumbai. While she was watching from a distance, the Malayalam superstar called her over and inquired about her interest in acting. Despite showing uncertainty and lack of confidence, Mammootty assured her that acting could be learnt but it was her affirmation that was necessary. Within days, she was shooting opposite Dulquer Salmaan for cinematographer Alagappan’s maiden directorial Pattam Pole.

During the shoot of her maiden film Pattam Pole, the original costume designer had to leave the sets due to sudden illness. Taking this as an opportunity, Malavika Mohanan designed her own costumes for the film. Besides acting, the doe-eyed beauty is a hot favourite among leading designers to walk down the ramp as she always scores high on fashion meters. She also runs her exclusive fashion blog ‘The Scarlet Window’ and admits not having used it for the past four years. “I used to work on it in college. I felt Indian designs and fashion weren't spoken about much. Everybody was just focusing on western silhouettes. So, I just wanted to do something of my own.”

Malavika Mohanan shot to fame when acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi casted her for Beyond the Clouds. Starring Ishaan Khatter as the main lead, the sibling-drama showcased the Mumbai-born actress as Tara, a poor girl from Mumbai's Dhobi Ghat area. Following her successful audition, Majidi selected the young lass ahead of renowned actresses like Deepika Padukone and Kangana Ranaut. During the shoot of this critically acclaimed project, Malavika lost 8kg in fifteen days for a jail sequence, and opted not to wash her hair for several days to perfect the look of the slum dweller.

The sexy siren made her Kollywood debut this year with Karthik Subbaraj's Petta. Starring an ensemble star cast like Rajinikanth, Vijay Sethupathi and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, the film portrayed Malavika as Poongodi Maalik. Guess what, she hired a Tamil-speaking tutor to help her practice her lines. Malavika Mohanan was supposed to make her Tollywood debut opposite Vijay Deverakonda in Hero. Helmed by writer-turned-director Anand Annamalai, the sports-drama shows Vijay as a professional biker and he also took training for the role. However, speculations say that the project has been shelved indefinitely due to some difference of opinion in the script.