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Unveiling the actor in her

Radhika springs a surprise with her role in `Classmates,' writes VIJAY GEORGE

PLEASANT SURPRISE Radhika came up with a sterling performance as Raziya

Radhika has become Raziya. With `Classmates' becoming a thumping hit all over Kerala, Radhika, who played Raziya in the film, is on cloud nine.

Many of her fans call her Raziya, or `penguin,' her nickname in `Classmates.' The `penguin' has added a feather to her cap and made herself noticed as a capable actor. After a few small roles in films such as `Vietnam Colony' and `One Man Show,' she had been resolutely pursuing her dream to make a mark in tinsel world. She had also worked in some advertisements and music albums.

Work in a music video

It was her work in a music video that caught the attention of Lal Jose, director of `Clasmates,' and encouraged him to cast her in his movie. "Until the shooting really began, I had no clue about the storyline or my character. I was just told that it was a Muslim character and that she had a crucial role in the film. The flashback scenes, which showed the college days of the main characters, were filmed first. That made me comfortable. The climax scenes were tougher and as those scenes were canned towards the end, I was able to get into the skin of the character," says Radhika, who hails from Cherthala.

Dwelling upon her character, she says, "Raziya was soft-spoken and serious, quite unlike my real self. She had enough reasons for becoming pensive and withdrawn on account of the twists and turns in her life. If one looks at her life from that perspective, it is easy to understand her strong feelings and her subsequent behaviour. Perhaps, one could even condone her actions."

Lal Jose is all smiles as he agrees that she was the Raziya that he had in his mind. "She had to look convincing as a degree student and later on as a woman who had aged before her time by mental turmoil. Moreover, the musical albums had made Radhika popular as a Muslim girl among television viewers. As her character had a suspense element surrounding it, I felt that she would be more suitable than a well known face."

The director adds that he could sense her transforming into the character, especially in a scene with Balachandra Menon. Radhika says that her mobile has never stopped ringing ever since the film was released. "Frankly, I never dreamt that I would receive so much of attention when I was assigned this role," confides Radhika.

Although she has been receiving offers from Kannada, Tamil and Telugu cinema, she says she is keeping her fingers crossed as she prefers Malayalam films to movies in other regional languages.

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