Rumana Molla enters into a candid chat with IWMBuzz on her upcoming movie Virgin Bhanupriya.

The movie Virgin Bhanupriya has a very interesting title. It has the word ‘virgin’ which a lot of people freak out upon hearing. Do you think your movie can help change things?

I certainly hope so. I think it’s high time for things to change and for sexuality to stop being a taboo. It’s important to enable younger people to talk about these things openly and to remove the shame factor that’s always been attached to sexuality in general.

Tell us more about your character and preparations for the role?

Rukul is fierce, independent, she’s a man-eater and she’s completely unapologetic about it. In order to prepare for this character, I had to leave my ideas and my inhibitions behind and accept this woman for who she is. Her language is also unique. She speaks in punchlines and I had to own those lines and make them seamless.

Rukul is fierce, independent, a man-eater and she's completely unapologetic about it.- Rumana Molla on her role in Virgin Bhanupriya

You seem to enjoy quirky comedy tales quite a lot. PKP was hilarious in itself and this too says it has quite a lot of funny sequences. Do you personally enjoy doing comedy?

I love to be a part of comedies. But each comedy is different and needs a fresh approach. For some, one needs to be mindful of timing and deliver lines in a specific way. But some are written in such a way that one just needs to be true to the character. But I believe one of the best things to do is not try to be funny.

What is the first thing you notice before deciding on a script to take up?

Well, for me, I look at the story and the character (besides the director, of course). I want to feel like the character is fleshed out and integral to the story. The length of the role didn’t matter much initially but now it does because I have noticed a tendency for the smaller characters to be underwritten and hence difficult to interpret.

Lastly, a message for the audience as to why they should see Virgin Bhanupriya on 16th July 2020 on ZEE5?

Given the lockdown and the way 2020 has shaped up, I think we all need a good comedy that’s fun, crazy, quirky and allows us to laugh and forget everything else. So, that certainly makes Virgin Bhanupriya a must-watch for the audience. Here’s hoping people like and appreciate our movie. Looking forward to the feedback from everyone, especially the audience.