Actor Elli AvrRam says the biggest challenge she faced in the Indian film industry was to break the perception that she could only do “glamorous roles and dance numbers.” She told us, “it’s just that the opportunities to do something more raw and unglamorous were less.”
AvrRam, who has Swedish-Greek roots entered the Indian showbiz in 2013, and has been part of films Mickey Virus (2013), Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon (2015), Jabariya Jodi (2019), Malang (2020), Goodbye (2022) and Ganpath (2023).
“To be honest I have embraced India completely as my home. I will fight with anyone who speaks bad about it,” the 33-year-old said.
AvrRam is currently travelling across India to shoot her show India With Elli AvrRam season 2. Speaking on her latest pitstop Ayodhya where she visited the Ram Mandir, the actor shared that she was amazed to see the devotion in the air, where the Ram Mandir was inaugurated amid fanfare recently.
She said, “Lord Ram is beautiful, I just wanted to stand and watch him. Hearing the crowd go ‘Jai Shree Ram’, was really cool to witness. Watching documentaries or films will only give you little understanding. It’s very different when you are actually there physically in all your senses. I’ve always had curiosity regarding Hinduism and ancient knowledge.”
For AvrRam, the opportunity to explore small towns is helping her connect with people. “The way they look at life, their thoughts and beliefs. What I love the most is that, the spirit I see in people is kindness and helpfulness,” she said.
Her last release Conjuring Kannappan (2023) received positive reviews. While travel shows help her connect with her fans in real life, how does she ensure she picks the right scripts? “I should be able to watch a film I’ve been part of and feel proud. Whether it becomes a hit or not at the box office can never be in my, or anyone’s control,” AvrRam concludes.
