It was in 2018 that Malvika Sharma debuted with Ravi Teja's 'Nela Ticket'. More than two years later, she looks confident to reinvent herself with Ram Pothineni's 'RED', which will hit the screens this January 14.

In this interview, the budding actress throws light on her character, shares her work experience, talks about her Law course and more.

A performance-driven character

I was studying Law when I did 'Nela Ticket'. Around the time I was looking for offers, 'Sravanti' Ravi Kishore sir and director Kishore Tirumala sir were searching for a relatively fresh face for 'RED'. It's a performance-oriented role. I gave an audition after listening to the narration. I got the offer because the makers felt I look the part.

A truly 'Energetic Star':

Ravi Teja sir and Ram Pothineni are completely different people. The former is always chilled out, but the latter is somewhat reserved at times. Once Ram is in front of the camera, he gives his all. That's why he is called the Energetic Star.

A thorough director

I did watch the Tamil original ('Thadam') but not fully. I didn't want to get affected by the performances in the original. Kishore sir gave me a thorough and clear-cut brief. I knew exactly what he wanted from me.

A mature character

The character I have played in the film is not how I am in real life. When I speak, I make a lot of hand movements and gestures. It's not how I am in the film. The director wanted me to look mature. I had to work on it. I watched a few films where the female lead behaves in a mature way.

Ram is different

Ram wants to do something out of the box. He never believes in templates. He is concerned with the performances given by other actors as well. Since I am relatively a newcomer, I had no prior experience. Ram would help me out often in different ways. I wish I had scenes with Nivetha Pethuraj but I don't have any.

Dream of becoming a lawyer

I am now a licensed lawyer, having completed LLB. I want to be a criminal lawyer. My grandfather was a lawyer. I wanted to be like him after he passed away. My dad is from Mathura. It's perceived that it's difficult for girls to become lawyers. I wanted to study on my own by earning my own money. I then planned to get into acting.

Getting comfortable with Telugu

I kept a Telugu tutor for 'RED'. It was a new experience to do a Telugu film after a gap of 1.5 years. Since I am no longer a first-timer, I had to give my best. I wanted to get the lip-sync right. I didn't want to look like a Mumbai girl struggling to speak in Telugu.

During the lockdown, it was really boring for the first three months. I later got busy with my Law exams and gave an entrance for LLM. I like to make Rajasthani dishes.