Exclusive – Madirakshi Mundle: One should always approach roles as purely work, it’s impossible to control perceptions

Fans loved her portrayal of Sita in Siya Ke Ram. Many of her fans still associate Madirakshi Mundle to the character and remember her for the same, even though she has also done other shows like Jai Hanuman and Vighnaharta Ganesh.

“I love my fans and admire their fandom. At the end of the day, it is their love and affection that makes the difference between a good and a great performance in terms of impact. I’ll chalk it down to impact,” she says, adding that she does not bother getting stereotyped and focuses on her talent while approaching different characters.

About the advice she would like to give fellow actors who are worried about being typecast, the actor adds, “I think one should always approach roles as purely work. It is impossible to control perceptions. Also, if playing the same kind of roles or even the exact same roles by different artists is something that is unlikely to be accepted by audiences, we would never have the same stories being repeated or even remakes. Clearly there is audience acceptance for this and that should be the last word on it.”

Balancing the portrayal of diverse roles and staying true to one’s personal brand as an artist is not an easy task. While many also opine that getting typecast also has its share of benefits.

Reacting to it, Madirakshi laughs before adding, “Trust me, you can get called up without any need for a screen-test to go straight on to the shooting floor and command a fee premium. So, it is something you can use to your advantage. My brand as an actor can be a quality like versatility or the depth in my ability to emote or anything else that makes the character my own. However, a role that you play can’t become your whole brand. It is definitely a part of my work portfolio and audiences identify it as such but, it’s like saying that people doing one thing at one point in your career is what they will do their entire life. That I find hard to digest. Time progresses and roles I do will change, thanks to both what I am offered and what I do.”

Actors have often been vocal about how the industry needs to break away from stereotyping actors. Madirakshi, however, looks at it in a different way.

“I don’t think they do it on purpose. It’s of course easier to call only those actors who have performed those kinds of roles previously. However, I believe so much depends on the willingness of casting directors, creative producers and the rest of the makers to imagine how someone will fit a role and call them up. Creative directors, casting folks and showrunners! If you are reading this, it is not hard to reach out to me for work you know. If you are writing a challenging and interesting role, I’ll jump at that, so call up,” she ends.

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