I initially rejected the offer; I’m ready to do anything for Monitha now: Shobha Shetty on Karthika Deepam

Shobha Shetty is a familiar face to the telly audiences; due credits to her exceptional performance as Monitha, the notorious antagonist in Karthika Deepam. The show has completed 1000 episodes recently and the Kannada actress can’t be any happier. From rejecting the offer to going to extremes to play the role, Shobha Shetty, in an exclusive chat with ETimes TV, spoke about her 3-year-m journey in the show. Excerpts..

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I'm very happy to be associated with Karthika Deepam. I feel fortunate to have worked in two (Karthika Deepam and Ashta Chemma) mega 1000+ episode mega shows.

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I was so keen on doing only lead roles that I actually rejected when I was first offered the role of Monitha. I waited for them to understand that I was not interested but producer G Venkateswar Rao garu finally convinced me and I couldn't say to a man who believed in me so much, more than myself actually. He is man with a conviction.

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Even for the first three months, I was not totally comfortable playing the role. During that phase, we were once shooting for a hospital sequence and I got so uncomfortable shooting that I created a ruckus there refusing to shoot anymore. My mom, who was so upset with my unprofessional behaviour, helped me settle down, get a reality check and keep doing the show.

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Within 4-5 months, my character got so popular. People started to call me Junior Ramyakrishna in reference to her performance as antagonist in Rajinikanth's Narasimha. Such compliments and positive feedback motivated me to get under the skin of Monitha. Today, I'm ready to do whatever it requires to do for Monitha. There were instances when Deepa and Soundarya slapped me and the makers would check if I'm comfortable and I would happily do.

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When I was shooting for another show in Kakinada, an old lady walked up to me and cursed me for troubling Deepa. I’m a very sensitive person and felt hurt initially. But again it’s the success of my character and performance. On the other hand, the legendary Brahmanandam garu called up our editor and appreciated my performance once. So kind of him. I feel really blessed.

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Yes, playing the character for three years can get monotonous for anyone. I, too, felt the same but every day on the sets is different and performing amidst such brilliant actors is really challenging and that keeps me going. Moreover, I’ve stopped overthinking and it is a must for an actor. My job is to give my makers my best for the role.

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Besides, my make up and costumes are yet another challenging aspects. Since Monitha is a doctor, I can’t overdress or underdress. I have to keep it subtle yet impactful. I go to Bangalore to exclusively shop for the show and the makers know this. As an actress, it is my responsibility to look my best.

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Myself and Premi akka have good fun on the sets. Krithika (Sourya) and Hima (Sahruda) are growing up so fast that I don’t look elder to them anymore. I’m being told to put on some weight to look elder to them (laughs). I call Archana garu “mom” as she played my mom in a Kannada show also. We often switch to Kannada in between the shots and looking at us, Premi akka also demands a Malayali co-star (laughs). I share a good rapport with Nirupam and other co-stars also.

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We can’t deny the fact that fans felt the show was being overstretched. I can only say this at the moment. We are coming with something big and unexpected in the upcoming episodes. I was also shocked and impressed by the upcoming developments in the show. You will witness Monitha 2.0 very soon.

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