I enjoyed working on #SK20 as it gave me an opportunity to learn: Maria Ryaboshapka

Ukrainian actress Maria Ryaboshapka, who plays the female lead in the Tamil-Telugu bilingual #SK20, is kicked about making her debut in the Indian film industry. The Anudeep KV directorial, co-starring Sivakarthikeyan in the lead, went on floors a few days before the war broke out in Ukraine. In an exclusive interview, Maria, who is still in India, talks about how she found the strength to work on the film even as thoughts of her near and dear ones back home occupied her mind and heart, and more.Excerpts…
My previous project was the Indian web series, Special Ops 1.5, part of which was shot in Ukraine. After the release, I received a lot of congratulatory messages from Indian fans. I also started receiving invitations to India and that’s when I was contacted by the #SK20 team. I liked their script, auditioned for the part, and finally found myself in India for the first time. I have a great role… She (her character) is a very fragile and bright girl. I like that she condemns racism and discrimination and does not support conservatism. One of the most important rights we all have to have is to be able to love and be with the person we love, regardless of gender, nationality, or anything else. It is the personal right of everyone; no one should separate people, making them unhappy.
Yes, I do. Indian cinema is an incredibly large and very diverse industry. I was impressed by the large number of languages and how much people in India love movies and their actors. I've seen a lot of Indian movies; most of all, I was impressed by the film 3 Idiots.
Indian and Ukrainian cultures are very different — completely different worldviews, different nature, and different reactions in people. Because of the different mentalities, the films are also very different — it’s great and interesting. In India, everything is new to me — a new climate, new society, new nature, new food, and of course, new cinema culture. I really enjoyed working on this project because I love learning. I am very grateful to the team for their support and care. I never felt like a stranger on the set due to such a friendly atmosphere.
The war in Ukraine has been going on for eight years, but I did not think that a full-scale invasion would begin.
I have many different fears. At first, I was very afraid for my family and loved ones. Now, I fear for all the people who are under fire and suffering in the temporarily occupied territories. I am afraid for the Ukrainians, who will be in grief and misery after this war… I am afraid to look into their eyes. This war has affected the entire democratic world, and threats from the past have returned. Now, I understand how important it is to help people, to help those who have suffered from Russian aggression. Together, we will rebuild our country and happiness will surely return to us.
I will return to Ukraine and won’t even consider other options. I want to be useful and help people in my country. The female half of my family is now in Germany, and the men remain in Ukraine due to martial law. My uncle is now at war, I am looking forward to his return and the victory of Ukraine.
The city where I was born is the hero city of Ukraine — Mariupol. Our military —the legendary Azov Regiment — together with police, marines, border guards, and territorial defense fighters, heroically defended the city for 86 days. Till the end, they repulsed enemy attacks on the Azovstal steel plant under incredibly difficult conditions. They gave the last supplies to civilians, took them out of the shelling, covered them with their bodies, and saved many lives. Now, the city is completely destroyed; the Russians are killing civilians, children, women, men, and the elderly. It is frightening to imagine how many horrific crimes committed by Russian soldiers we will learn about after the liberation of our temporarily occupied territories. It is known that the Russian invasion of Mariupol killed 20,000 civilians, but these figures can get doubled. My city is completely destroyed, but there is still a beautiful sea, where we will all rest again after our victory.
My country gave me the opportunity to get free education and a good start for my acting career; now, it’s my time to help Ukraine. Many countries are also helping us and I am very grateful to each of them for their support. I am especially grateful to our incredible Polish brothers and sisters, who take such sincere care of our people and provide a large number of necessary weapons and humanitarian aid. Wars should not exist as a phenomenon at all; I cannot explain to myself why they exist.
I haven’t signed any new contracts yet, but I would like to continue working in India. You have an incredible film industry and a wonderful country, but first, I want to see all my relatives and friends in Germany and Ukraine.