By Nikita Bishay

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 31 (ANI): Actor Mallika Prasad, the fierce antagonist in Rani Mukherji starrer 'Mardaani 3', opened up about the evolving space for female villains in the industry.

Highlighting the growing acceptance of women in negative roles, Prasad, in an interview with ANI, said she had wanted to explore that character type for a while.

'I wanted to explore what it is like to be a villain. I'm not unfamiliar with playing characters that are not straight or black and white characters, but I'm always keen to see how people receive characters like this in mainstream work. Sometimes, you don't think of a villain necessarily as a woman. I'm of the generation when 'Mogambo' was the iconic villain of all time. I also think about what it would mean to have a woman play an iconic villain like that,' she said.

Noting that while audiences and filmmakers have always been open to female-centric stories, Mallika Prasad acknowledged a gap that still exists between male and female performers.

'The world has been ready for the feminine for a very long time. I come from a training and experience space where we trust the organic intelligence of audiences, and I don't believe diluting content, an idea necessarily serves your own growth as an artist. It is true that we tend to support failure, but I can't be blind to the fact that if it is a male actor, then the sense of support is higher. There are way too many women now on both sides of the script, the camera and the production,' the actor continued.

Mallika Prasad, who is seen opposite Rani Mukerji's Shivani Shivaji Roy in the latest 'Mardaani' film, also recalled meeting the actor on the film's muhurat puja.

Stating that they had a limited period of shoot schedule together, Prasad spoke highly about Rani's powerful presence and her film legacy.

'Mostly, we had different schedules or circumstances and had to work separately. So, there wasn't much that of an interaction on the sets. I remember having a brief interaction with her during the puja. All of us were in a room and she told me 'Welcome to the franchise'. For me, it feels nice to work with strong women like her. For a woman to reach where she is now wouldn't have been easy,' she shared about Rani Mukerji.

Mallika Prasad is seen as the lead antagonist in the third 'Mardaani' film. As the merciless, evil, and powerful 'Amma', she will be shown as responsible for handling a beggar mafia, mostly targeting child victims.

Directed by Abhiraj Minawala and produced by Aditya Chopra, 'Mardaani 3' marks the return of Rani Mukerji as Shivani Shivaji Roy. (ANI)