I never imagined my appa would cast me in his next film: Monisha Vijaykumar

Newbie Monisha Vijaykumar fondly recalls being on the sets of one of her father’s (Kannada actor Vijay Kumar) films as a child, boldly declaring to everyone around that one day she would return as an actor. “At the time, my father was strictly against it. It’s destiny that I’ll soon be in a film directed by my dad, who once forbade this career path,” she says.
Freshly graduated from the New York Film Academy, Monisha shares how the course exceeded her expectations.“Initially, I just wanted to learn acting. I, however, got trained in editing and direction too, which gave me a deeper insight into filmmaking. After completing the course, my only goal was to sign a film and step onto a set,” she explains.
Monisha admits that returning home was not without its challenges. “I had sleepless nights wondering how I’d get my first break. My father watched quietly the whole time. Then, he finally told me, ‘I want you to star in my next film, City Lights’. I was both relieved and stunned. He had this script in mind for a while, but I never imagined that he’d cast me in it. He wanted me to earn it and go through the uncertainty before giving me this opportunity,” she says.