‘Sarangapani Jathakam’ actor Roopa Koduvayur: If I am taking a break from medicine to work in a film, it has to be worth it

Roopa Koduvayur
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Following her Telugu cinema debut with Uma Maheshwara Ugra Roopasya (UMUR) in 2020, when Roopa Koduvayur was asked if she had a wishlist of directors she wanted to work with, one of the first names she mentioned was Mohanakrishna Indraganti. Four years later, she is the leading lady in the director’s Telugu comedy Sarangapani Jathakam alongside Priyadarshi Pulikonda. “I think I manifested it,” she says, during this interview at Sridevi Movies office in Hyderabad. 

Vijayawada-bred Roopa is a doctor, currently pursuing an MD in internal medicine in London, after which she intends to study medical oncology. She is also a trained Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dancer. “I do not like to hit the gym. Getting on a treadmill and working out while listening to the same playlists does not excite me. Anyone who knows me will tell you how my face glows after two hours of dance. It is a reflection of my happiness. I use my time to pursue what makes me happy — dance, cinema and medical education — and I am fortunate to have supportive parents.”

Post the release of UMUR, she vividly remembers soaking in the response to her work even as she was a final-year MBBS student. “The response to the film was so overwhelming, it got me thinking,” she recalls. “I got my MBBS seat through merit and I value my education. I am determined not to give up my dream of wanting to be a medical oncologist, a dream that grew stronger over the years, especially since my mother is a cancer survivor. If I was going to take short breaks to act in films, I was determined to do good work that is worthy of my time.”

Director Mohanakrishna Indraganti and Roopa Koduvayur on the sets of ‘Sarangapani Jathakam’
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Director Mohanakrishna Indraganti had tweeted in appreciation of the film and her work post the release of UMUR; the opportunity to work with him came much later. “I had just returned from London, where I am pursuing my medical course when I received a call from him. He asked if I would be willing to come to his office to listen to a story narration. I went in expecting to be auditioned for a role.”

To Roopa’s surprise, the director narrated the story of Sarangapani Jathakam over coffee and asked if she would be interested in playing the lead, named Mythili. Roopa wanted to know why he thought she could pull off the character, but reserved the question for later, on set. “After we had filmed some portions of the film, I asked him and he said my work in UMUR had been enough to convince him. I also learnt that he watches interviews with actors to observe them. In the film, Mythili is an independent, straightforward and kind personality and he felt I could do justice to it.”

The advantage of speaking Telugu also worked in Roopa’s favour, since she was required to speak the language at a fast pace for the film. “In fact, during dubbing, I realised how fast I had spoken my lines; there were times I found it tough to match that speed to arrive at the required lip sync,” she says. 

Roopa Koduvayur
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

There were learnings along the way. “I thought I had done a good job. But Indraganti sir pointed out minor corrections. For example, I did not know that ‘tarapuna’ (on behalf) is an Urdu-laced Telugu pronunciation and the purer Telugu word is ‘tarafuna’.”

Roopa looks back at Sarangapani… with satisfaction since the script reading sessions and workshops helped her hone her craft. “It was like going back to school,” she says. “When a director explains the nuances of a character and when we practice the dialogues with our co-stars, it becomes easier on set. I also observed how my co-stars Harsha, Vennela Kishore and Priyadarshi work. Naresh sir is a master of improvisation and while working with him, I needed to think on my feet and deliver.”

In the film, she is a manager at a car showroom. To get the body language right, Roopa visited a few car showrooms in Vijayawada. “The managers speak to potential customers courteously. I picked up some of their mannerisms.” 

Roopa has also worked in two Tamil films, Neelira and Yamakaathagi. Neelira, produced by Karthik Subbaraj and directed by Srilankan Tamil filmmaker Someetharan, was screened at the recently concluded International Film Festival of India, Goa. She says, “The story unfolds one night and I have a good role in it.” She describes Yamakaathagi, directed by Peppin George, as a hard-hitting social film set against a rural backdrop. “Both these films have given me the scope to perform. I am happy with the work that has come my way.”