Television actor Pallavi Gowda has a penchant for versatility. “I love being Arundhati and Mithuna,” she says referring to her roles in two Telugu serials Nindu Noorella Savaasam and Yevandoi Srimati Garu airing on Zee Telugu and Gemini respectively. “I love acting in these two serials as they allow me to play different characters,” she says.

Reel mother

A still from ‘Nindu Noorella Savaasam’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Arundhati aka Aru in Nindu Noorella…is the ‘soul’ of the family. Pallavi plays this ideal daughter-in-law who will do anything to keep her family safe and happy. But when she dies and lands in Yamaloka, she enlists the help of Chitragupta to help save her family.

Pallavi is overwhelmed with responses on playing a guardian angel to her reel son. “Viewers connect with my role. Some, who have lost their mothers, told me they feel as if their mother is watching over them as an angel, and cherish the moments.” This metaphysical role in this 400+ episode daily serial won her two awards in the recent Zee Kutumbam Awards 2024.

In Yevandoi… her character Mithuna raises her sister’s son as her own, leading to some repercussions . She falls in love with Gautam and the duo live together as husband and wife, only to manage expenses.

Sharing a bond

A still from ‘Nindu Noorella Savaasam’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

A Kannadiga born and brought up in Bengaluru, Pallavi made a mark in Telugu television in 2014 with Pasupu Kumkuma, a remake of the Kannada serial Chi Sow Savithri. Apart from films and web series, the past decade also saw her working in Kannada and Malayalam. “I feel blessed to receive the warmth and positive response,” says Pallavi, referring to her growth in television and the bond she shares with co-workers. “I never thought I would work outside Karnataka. I came to a new place (Hyderabad) and worked with strangers who have now become best friends; they are now like an extended family.”

Love for cooking

Penchant for versatile roles | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

When not shooting, Pallavi enjoys chilling out with her best friend Nisha Lokhande in Bengaluru or rustling up new recipes. “I love cooking,” she declares. Pallavi’s culinary journey began during her school years. Having grown up in a joint family, she watched her mother and pinnis (aunts) write down recipes from cookery shows on television and treat family members to delicacies. “Eating restaurant dishes like chicken fried rice or gobi manchurian on Sundays felt like a celebration, like a food festival.” While coconut burfi was the first dish she prepared, her culinary exploration includes some humorous moments, involving one with her babayi (uncle. He saw the cracks on the ragi sangati she had made and asked if it had been struck by lightning!

Pallavi is a multi-linguist; she can speak Kannada, Telugu, English, Hindi, Tamil and Malayalam. Awaiting the release of her much-delayed Kannada film Brahma Raksha (“I worked for it in 2022, I don’t know why it is getting delayed”), Pallavi says, “Acting is both my passion and profession. Whether in television or films, I want to take up roles that leave a lasting impression, and entertain my fans.”