Malvi Malhotra is among the busiest actresses. With multiple projects down South, she has an exciting lineup for her audience. In an exclusive interview with PeepingMoon, Malvi spoke about the challenges and benefits that come with working in multilingual films.

Talking to us, the actress also shared her thoughts on pan-India films, the possibility of doing Bollywood films, plans to return to television and Bigg Boss. Malvi opened up about recovering from the stabbing incident that took place in 2020 and hoped to get justice in court after fighting for 3 years.

Excerpts from the interview:

You’re balancing projects in multiple languages. What are the challenges and benefits?

There are so many benefits to it. I get to meet different people and learn a lot from them. I also get to understand cinema from different perspectives. The only challenge is the language barrier. If that's erased over time, it will be easier. It is a bit difficult to perform because I have to refer to the script and read it carefully before facing the camera. 

According to you, is the trend of pan-India films here to stay?

Actors from Bollywood and the South are collaborating which is a good thing. This widens the reach of pan-India films because the Hindi audience watches their favourite actors and vice-versa. I believe this will grow in future. 

When’s Bollywood happening for you?

I did Hotel Milan in 2018 and then moved to South and did OTT projects. Hopefully, Bollywood will happen soon. 

There’s often chatter around nepotism in the South vs North. What’s your take on it? Did you ever face the repercussions of nepotism?

I wouldn't call it nepotism but if you know somebody, you would recommend him/her for a role. This doesn't just happen in the film industry; it's everywhere. It is highlighted more only in the film industry. If you are capable enough, you will get that job and perform well. 

You acted in Hindi television before stepping into regional cinema. Do you ever plan to get back to the small screens?

Yes, I started with TV but after working for 6-8 months, I felt it was getting monotonous for me as I like to travel and wanted to also explore films. I did a show for almost a year and then moved to films. I don't know about getting back to TV because if I get good films, I would choose that. If a different and powerful role written for a TV show comes to me, I wouldn't mind. For me, I love playing challenging characters. My preference is always films. 

Rumours were rife that you were approached for Bigg Boss. Was it true?

I was approached for Bigg Boss in 2022 but I didn't want to do it. I was caught up with my prior commitments and dance routines. I might do Bigg Boss later in my career but not now. 

It’s been almost 3 years to the horrific incident you survived bravely. How has the recovery been?

It's been 3 years and I'm over it now. I am still stuck in legal matters and I've been through a lot. Mentally, I'm still involved with it but physically, I am fine. I have to bear with the trial that's going on in the court. It gets stressful when I have to discuss the incident with lawyers but otherwise, it's fine. I want justice in that case as I fought for 3 years. 

Can you please share the names of actors/actresses and directors you aspire to work with?

I would love to work with Vijay Sethupathi and Dhanush. I wish to be directed by Mani Ratnam, SS Rajamouli and Gautam Menon. In Hindi, I would team up with Rajkummar Rao and Ayushmann Khurrana. R Balki, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Rajkumar Hirani are my dream directors.