Bollywood: Elli AvrRam talks up latest roles in Indian cinema

Elli AvrRam has always been very drawn towards India. She was around five when she was first introduced to Bollywood, surprisingly on Swedish television, where they played a Bollywood song.

And at that moment, Elli says in a Zoom conversation with City Times, "I literally fell in love for the first time ever in my life."

"It was just so fascinating that I was completely like 'wow.' And in that moment I felt that this is what I want to do in my life. Ever since then, whenever something about India, be it a documentary or anything Bollywood came on Swedish television, I would always run to the TV and stand there dreaming of living that moment, being like those girls. I just always had this calling."

Fast forward to Elli's teenage years when she hit another milestone in her love for Bollywood; she watched her first Bollywood movie Devdas on Swedish television. Starring Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, and Aishwarya Rai in lead roles, the film runs over three hours. And all that time, you'd find little Elli glued to the tiny TV she had in her room.

"I was like, this is what I want to do in life. I want to be an actress in Bollywood cinema; it became my goal and my biggest dream."

After graduation, a "stubborn" Elli visited India to "try her luck" in the Bollywood industry. "Stubborn in a way like I cannot do anything else if my heart is not for it," she says, adding how there was "pure excitement" on her maiden visit to the country.

And Elli, originally Swedish, wouldn't find Indian customs "strange" as people thought she would. For instance, people eating with their hands (not spoons and forks) didn't come as a surprise to Elli.

"I've definitely been Indian my past life," she says.

And that belief, in a way, paved way for Elli in the Indian film industry. So far, she's appeared in films, web series, reality TV shows, and music videos. Her first role in the industry came in 2013's Mickey Virus in which she played Kamayani George. The same year, she appeared in the popular Salman Khan-hosted reality show Bigg Boss (Season 7). Her first prominent role came in 2015's Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon which starred Indian comedian Kapil Sharma in the lead role. You may even remember her as Jesse in Malang, the 2020 revenge tale starring Aditya Roy Kapur, Disha Patani and Anil Kapoor.

Now she is dabbling in films in different languages.

Tamil film Naane Varuven marked her South debut as a lead actor with popular star Dhanush. It is commendable, the fact that Elli, who comes from Sweden, has picked up on multiple Indian languages and speaks them with ease, especially Hindi, which when she spoke sounded as natural as it can be.

She does find it challenging though, but that's what she loves.

"I've discovered that I am the kind of person who loves challenges in life," she said. "Yeah, it is just so much fun because I feel it makes you grow so much more as a person."

And Elli has loved languages and culture since childhood. She loves to know and understand different cultures. "I've always had this curiosity about the world we are living in," she said. "There's just so many ways to look at life, so many perspectives, so much to learn, all of it makes you grow as a person. So it really excites me even if it is like super tough. I say bring it on, because that also motivates me to work even harder, otherwise you become laid back when it is all too easy, which is not fun for me."

And with that attitude, Elli has soared through all the difficulties she's faced in her journey. Her biggest takeaway? Believe in yourself because anything is possible. That's something Elli wants to extend to all the youngsters with big dreams.

"Their dreams might be sounding super wild, crazy, and weird to other people, but I just want them to know that even the weirdest of dreams can actually come true," she says, "Anything is possible."

That belief worked out for Elli when she starred next to Dhanush, of whom she's a fan. Elli was unaware of the South Indian film industry before her Bigg Boss appearance. Back home in Sweden, her craze was limited to the Bollywood world. And after foraying into that world, she found out about the South Indian film industry which piqued her interest to work there. Nine years later, we're seeing Elli make her South Indian film debut with someone she's really a fan of - Dhanush.

"It is the most special role of my career so far," she said. "It is so close to my heart. I've been dreaming of this role, and it is also the biggest challenge of my career."

In Naane Varuven, Elli plays Dhanush's onscreen wife and mother to their two children. Written by Dhanush himself, the film is a horror thriller.

"I got to learn so much from Dhanush," Elli said. "It is so beautiful to see that despite being such a huge superstar, Dhanush is so down to earth, so kind and supportive. He really made me feel comfortable to express myself and that is so important as an actor. Plus it was also like a fan moment for me."

Dhanush isn't the only big superstar Ellie has shared screen space with. Her latest is another star-studded film Goodbye, currently playing in UAE cinemas. She plays an ambitious and fierce Daisy Bhalla in Goodbye, a heartwarming story about life, family, and relationships. Directed by Vikas Bahl, the film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Neena Gupta and Rashmika Mandanna.

"More than superstars, I would say they are wonderful actors," Elli says of Dhanush and Amitabh. "Because that's what I feel more grateful and excited for. I love art and to perform with such wonderful actors, it's really a blessing and pleasure."

Next, Elli has Tiger Shroff and Kriti Sanon's upcoming Ganapath, which is slated to release in December 2023. Elli will also star in another regional Indian language film which is currently under works and under wraps.

Elli would love to work with Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

"He is the director who made me fall in love with Bollywood," she said. "After watching Devdas, I was like 'wow.' So he's the goal."

Elli AvrRam on things she loves about Dubai

Like many other Bollywood superstars, Elli has, of course, been to Dubai. In fact, she was here recently. “Dubai is lots of fun,” she says. “It is the best place for shopping. It is the best place for food, you get literally everything, and it is just so delicious. There are also the desert safaris and the beaches, so it’s really a fun place to be. You can do so many adventurous things.”

But her favourite thing to do is have Moroccan tea.

Elli, who has successfully made a mark in Bollywood, even with the language barrier in play, is also open to appearing in Arabic films. “I love the Arabic language,” she says, “In fact, I used to speak a bit of it when I was a teenager because I grew up with a lot of Lebanese friends.”

“I also listened to Arabic songs while growing up,” she said, adding that Nancy Ajram is one of her favourites. “I would literally sing the songs having no idea what they mean because I just loved them.”

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