In an exclusive panel interview with the cast of the series, we at IWMBuzz went on to ask Jyotika about how the choice of saying YES or NO to a script has been a factor given she has spent decades in the industry and how content has evolved and what dictates those YESES or NOs now.

Author: Kunal Kothari

01 Mar,2025 01:30:01 PM

EXCLUSIVE: Jyotika - "In the South, the female is just dancing around the male protagonist or praising them" 938974

Actor Jyotika doesn’t need any introduction where apart from being one of the most celebrated actresses down South, she has now become frequent with her projects in the Hindi belt as well. One might wonder, has it been the influx of offers coming in from the Hindi space too frequently or is it the fact that the offers and roles coming in are more substantial than ever which has led to Jyotika taking up more projects in the Hindi entertainment space?

In the last year almost exactly, Jyotika has starred in three Hindi projects and to no one’s surprise, all of them have been successful. After starring in the Hindi blockbuster film, Shaitaan, she played a key role in the Rajkummar Rao-led box office success, Srikanth as well – and now plays an important role in the Netflix series, Dabba Cartel.

In an exclusive panel interview with the cast of the series, we at IWMBuzz went on to ask her about how the choice of saying YES or NO to a script has been a factor given she has spent decades in the industry and how content has evolved and what dictates those YESES or NOs now.

When you’re pairing up with the male protagonist in the South, the female roles always felt incomplete. It was all about dancing with them and praising them

To this, Jyotika said, “I have made a lot of choices and I have said no to a lot of things. After I had a decade of working with the heroes in the South (probably after I was 28 years old), I said Yes to a very few films, and it was a conscious decision. Because you know, coming from the South, we are a more male-dominated industry, and the change has come now – yes, even in Bollywood. But down South, it is still about the male at the helm of the project, the part is written for the male.”

She added, “When you’re pairing up with the male protagonist, the female roles always felt incomplete. It was all about dancing with them and praising them. It still goes on even today. So, I was always looking for the other parts, which to be honest, I did get from there as well. I did my kind of films but yes, I said NO to a lot of work and consciously chose a particular path. And I guess that part is currently leading me to diversify so much today. I am made out of the choices I made.”

Watch the full interview below-

Interviewed by Kunal Kothari

About The Author

Kunal Kothari

From operating in the entertainment industry for almost eight years, Kunal talks, walks, sleeps and breathes movies. Apart from critiquing them, he tries to spot things others tend to miss and is always up for a game of trivia about anything and everything on-screen and off-screen. Kunal rose through the ranks after joining as a journalist to being the editor, film critic and senior correspondent at India Forums. A team player and hard worker, he likes to have a cogent approach towards critical analysis, where you might find him on the field, ready for an insightful conversation about the movies.