Kabani has given me the strength to handle stress in life: Gopika Anil

Within a few episodes of the serial Kabani,

actress Gopika Anil

has already won a lot of hearts playing the smart and bold titular character who hails from a rural family and dreams to make it big.

The Kozhikode-based graduate in Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) also has company in the serial as it features her younger sister Keerthana as Kabani’s sidekick Padmini. The duo has also acted as Mohanlal’s daughters in film Balettan.
We caught up with Gopika to know more about her role in the serial Kabani, interests and more.


From child artiste to actress
It was my father who took the interest to get me and my sister into films. I made my acting debut through the film Shivam in 2001. Later, opportunities came to us and my sister and I acted together in Balettan in 2004. I also tried my hands at serials and Ammathottil, which was directed by Kannan Thamarakkulam in 2010, was the first serial in which I portrayed the lead role. I also did Unniyarcha in which I played Kunji, who loved Chandu. Kabani though will be my second acting venture with my sister.


‘Kabani is not the usual paavam village belle’

My entry to the serial was sheer coincidence. Keerthana had acted in A M Naseer sir’s Mangalyam and its scriptwriter Dinesh Pallath is part of Kabani. So, when he asked my father to send him Keerthana’s photos for the role of Padmini, he accidentally attached my photos too in the mail. The makers of the serial were impressed and cast me as Kabani.

The serial has already aired around 40 episodes and Kabani is different from the usual stories of village belles. She is a girl who follows the mantra of tit for tat.
Though born in a village, she is not meek and is brave in her actions. She never gives up and fights for the truth to prevail till the end. Playing her also gives me the confidence to handle stressful situations in life and be positive. Her character also stresses to live honestly. Money and popularity are not everything in life; no matter how hard the road is, being honest and content will eventually take you to greater heights.


‘Keerthana and I are more like friends now’

It was the first time after Balettan that Keerthana and I were sharing screen space. For us, it’s more like a fun trip as our mother also accompanies us to the shoot. Playing friends in the serial has had a similar effect in real life too. We share good chemistry so enacting our scenes are easier and often we would only need one take. Keerthana is very much like the fun-loving, bubbly Padmini.


Overwhelming feedback

If my role is getting noted, then it is only because of my director Sudheesh Shankar. I have learnt a lot about acting through Kabani. He gives pointers about our performance on the spot and that helps us improve.

We have been receiving positive feedback, and most of them are from youngsters and children. Even the youth in my college who don’t usually watch serials have started to follow Kabani. I think it’s because my character’s college life and her struggles to perform well are also pivotal to the story.

We also frequently get comments on our hairstyles and way we dress in the half saris. The makers have included that intentionally to give us the look of village girls. Though it was new for me and Keerthana in the beginning, now we are very comfortable with it. Rather than wearing shorts, I was more comfortable playing kabaddi in one of the scenes wearing a half sari.


Favourite scene

In a recent episode, my character had to give a speech after receiving an award in the college. The lines narrated Kabani’s love for her mother, and I had to break down in tears in the end. But when I got into the emotion and delivered the lines prompted by the assistant director, tears came naturally as my mother was sitting in front of me.


What next?

Apart from Kabani, I am preparing to pursue post graduation after my BAMS. I would like to continue my acting career as it is my father’s wish. But I would also like to become an ayurveda doctor.