Rohini is an entertainer to the core

Rohini
| Photo Credit: special arrangement

Remember the hilarious scene from the Allu-Arjun starrer Desamuduru when Kovai Sarala says Ábbaabba ennalaindi intha kharam tini’ after eating spicy red mango pickle? One among many fans of the scene and comedian was Rohini, a B.Tech student of VR Siddhartha Engineering College in Vijayawada, who would entertain friends with her imitation. Little did Rohini realise this admiration would chart a new journey with her in tinsel town.

Shining star

Rohini is a shining star in the comedy circuit on television, OTT and films. From a small role as a constable in her first serial Kalavari Kodallu on Zee Telugu to portraying a comic maid Bhoolakshmi in the Disney+ Hotstar series Save The Tigers , she has had a slow and steady rise is her 10-year-journey.

Imitating as a hobby

Soft-spoken and cheerful, Rohini credits destiny and hard work for her success. Speaking to MetroPlus at her house in Manikonda, she recollects writing ‘imitating’ as a hobby in school, little realising that pastime would become an occupation. Lunch breaks were showtime for her to imitate her favourite actors Kovai Sarala, Ravi Teja and Vikram from Naana. “I used to often imitate different characters of Kovai Sarala garu and portray Jhansi garu’s character in Tulasi to entertain my friends; they would ask me to try my luck in the film industry but I would laugh it off,” recalls Rohini, an engineering graduate.

A chance to participate in a game show Teluginti adapaduchu opened up doors to television. Although Kalavari Kodallu was her debut , her character Rohini with a Rayalaseema dialect in Koncham Ishtam Koncham Kashtam (KIKK, 2014) was a first step to success.

She won her first Nandi award for KIKK in 2015 but she had to hit the pause button due to an accident that year. “It was tough. Everything I had created in 18 months came to a standstill,” she recalls. However, a few months later, a role in Inspector Kiran fetched television and movie roles including an entry in Bigg Boss (Season 3). “I was ousted in four weeks without any nomination. I appear like a tough person but am a very sensitive, emotional and easy going. Godavalu pettukune rakam kaadu nenu ( I am not an argumentative person).”

Penchant for comedy

That reality show may not have helped her career, but another show Jabardasth on ETV gave a solid platform to display her flair for comedy. The spontaneous humour in different skits earned a devoted following on television that continues with Sreedevi Drama Company, a music, dance and comedy show. “Bhanupriya and Vijayashanti have been my favourite actors since childhood,” says Rohini, who recently presented varied facets of Vijayashanti including her intense acting style.

The actor blushes when the conversation veers towards her OTT debut Save The Tigers Season 1. She brought the house down with her selfie act while riding triple on a scooter and with the scene where she dries undergarments. Having finished a four-day shoot for the series’ Season 2, she says, “We did small improvisations during Season 1 shooting but the writing was exceptionally good . Every scene is memorable as we had lots of fun and a healthy competition to bring more laughs to each of our roles.”

Having done 15 films in these 10 years, Rohini is not bothered with the length of the role. I only ask what my character is. I have realised even with one scene, one can make an impact.” The self-taught actor considers her sister Anuradha, her biggest support and Kovai Sarala her inspiration. “Sarala garu was able to create her own identity as a female comedian on par with Brahmanandam and Ali. She was known for her comedy but she also did diverse roles to showcase her versatility. Even Srilakshmi garu had a unique comedy style. I hope to be like them.”

Aspiring to fill the gap made by the absence of female comedians in the industry, she says, “I have only seen my father do Telugu natakam and have not learnt acting. I never imagined I would come so far in this journey. I just hope I am able to sustain the entertainment quotient. I recently had a challenging rod removal surgery and hope to give a different dimension in my roles and surprise the audience too.”

While she looks forward to her next show Comedy Stock Exchange on Aha, her hands are full with movies Parijaata Parvam, Prasant Varma’s pan-India movie Hanuman, Vijay Devarakonda’s Family Star and Ram Charan-starrer Game Changer directed by N Shankar.