They love to hate me: Mallika Prasad on impact of villain's role in Mardaani 3

Actor Mallika Prasand, who played the antagonist in Rani Mukerji’s Mardaani 3, is elated beyond words over the response to her larger-than-life role. In an exclusive conversation with India Today, the actor opened up about the love that pleasantly surprised her, and why she isn’t worried about being boxed into negative roles.

Mallika Prasad, who has spent years in theatre and playing complex women on screen, says the scale of love this time feels different and deeply validating. “It feels very good, in fact. I am very glad that the audience accepted the character. They absolutely love to hate Amma, which is I think, is in some ways a nod to the franchise as well, which brings such fantastic villains to the fore. I am grateful to be part of it and for the love that the audience has given right from the time that the trailer was out,” she said.

Though many are calling it her first major negative outing, Mallika clarifies that she has played grey roles before, but never at this scale. “I feel I am very grateful to be found by such a big franchise and production house and to have reached so many people. If it wasn't for Mardaani, I wouldn't be talked about so much by so many people. And I wouldn't have received this kind of spread. It's not just India; it's all over the world that I am getting feedback from. So for that, I am absolutely grateful, and it feels great,” she added.

Having been an actor for a long time, she described this as her first proper, larger-than-life villain role. “I have played several complex characters in the past. I have played a queen diplomat, Devi Ahilya Bai, many strong female roles like Draupadi, Titania where it is the woman who really drives the story. So that's not new to me. But this love certainly is, and this kind of widespread acceptance of this character certainly is very pleasantly surprising,” Prasad said.

Other than the fan love, what touched Prasad was the feedback from the film’s team at the screening ahead of the release. “Actually, we had what is called a cast and crew screening where the family that built this franchise, friends and family were there, and I got to see all the people who worked on Mardaani whom I never met on set. I got to meet them, and hear their feedback as to how it felt to be editing this character.”

“So it was very lovely that even from the people who had been probably looking at my face for like this one year, they still had nice things to say about the character and the work that we have done together. So it's always very nice to hear that. The buzz and the word on the street has come back, and a lot of people from the industry have congratulated and said what a good job. And that feels nice,” she told us.

She added, “One very common reaction I hear from young girls, men, mothers, aunties at the screening almost everyone is the same: ‘We hate you and we love you for the same reason.’ They say it with so much energy and affection that I never imagined I would receive something like that. I am truly happy about it.”

Mardaani has built a reputation for memorable villains. But Mallika says she didn’t approach the role with pressure in mind. “I am not one who seeks pressure and all that. The truth is that I am very happy to be part of this hall of fame of villains of this franchise. It was actually after the film was released that I went and saw the other villains who were part of this. I am also a teacher. I teach actors, so I know that every actor brings their uniqueness to a role. So it feels good to be part of that lot,” she said.

Talking about the comparison with the other antagonist of the Mardaani franchise, she said, “I feel that actors as human beings bring something unique from their own lived experience. To compare and say this is better and that is not so good, I think there is a world of a film, and in that world, is it believable? That is what makes it memorable. We should appreciate that for the film, and also look at the actor who is going to go on to do other things as well. This is such a lift-off kind of platform for the actors who played in Mardani. So this kind of comparison is not healthy.”

Prasad recalled how the casting director discovered her performance in Killer Soup. “I am very grateful to Shanu (Sharma), who found me. I have always got work based on my previous work. Just two days ago, I asked, how did you find me? Because some other casting agency called and said, 'How did they find you? — in a very envious way, which felt very good, I have to say.”

Mallika continued, “Shanu said she was watching Killer Soup. She found Zubeda, and from there she sent me a scene. I remember doing a self-tape and then forgetting about it, which is what actors do. They do their audition and then hope that somebody is going to call back. And that's it, you carry on with life. She called and said, ‘I haven't seen an audition this good in a long time. Will you come meet us?’ That’s lovely to hear for any actor who has auditioned, to hear a callback.”

Coming from a non-film background, she credits her family for their support, and it was her father who supported her decision to be an actor.

Prasad admitted that she is critical of her own work, but in a constructive way. “Up until the point that I am creating the work, I am very protective because I don’t want anybody to derail the track that I’m on. I take criticism knowing it has to be constructive. It has to build on something rather than be destructive of it. It’s very important to have people around you who tell you the truth, even if it is uncomfortable That’s the way to grow,” she said.

Looking ahead, she is clear about the kind of work she wants to do. “I’m looking for characters that are interesting, complex, that come from a lived experience of being a woman in today’s world. I’m looking for good scripts,” she shared.

Interestingly, Mallika revealed that her intense confrontation scenes with Rani Mukerji were shot separately. “We shot those confrontation scenes separately. Those fighting scenes, all of them, I had stand-ins and so did she. That’s the most interesting aspect of this cat-and-mouse situation, the protagonist against the antagonist, where you actually don’t know what’s going to happen on the other side, and that’s the game,” she added.

She met Rani at the start of the project and during the film’s pooja ceremony. “We met once at the beginning of the shoot. She welcomed me into the franchise. She said everybody loves you here and said our eyes are similar And literally that was it. We are yet to meet after the movie,” Prasad concluded.

Meanwhile, during its run, Mardaani 3 has faced competition at the ticket windows, notably clashing with the war drama Border 2. Despite this, the film has managed to maintain a steady audience in theatres, finishing its first week with a net collection of Rs 26.3 crore. The second week opened with Rs 1.85 crore on Friday and saw a jump to Rs 2.75 crore on Saturday, reflecting sustained interest.