Trisha, since her debut in Lesa Lesa 14 years back, has remained in the limelight in both Tamil and Telugu cinema. Yet, the actress thinks that her present phase is the best in her career, and that she has a lot to offer cinema.
Excerpts from her exclusive interview:
Expectations of Kodi are quite high. Part of this has to do with your pairing with Dhanush for the first time.
The character I play in Kodi , Rudhra, was a terrific experience for me. It’s about the negative side of a woman, about how emotions get the better of her. I have to admit that it was a huge challenge to act with Dhanush. He brings to his performance an energy that has rubbed off on me.
You’ve also been signed for the sequel of Sathuranga Vettai. This sees you acting with Arvind Swamy for the first time.
I should consider myself lucky to be part of this project. It’s a film about mind games, in which two big guns try to outsmart one another. My excitement at doing projects like this, at this stage of my career, is indescribable. I count myself blessed. I’m going to have a blast working on this project.
Rumour has it that you’ve been approached to star in the remake of Anushka Sharma-starrer NH10...
Talks are on, but it’s still very early to discuss it. It will be a dream role for sure. I have been lucky to get these offers. There are times when I have got such roles after some others rejected them. In a long career, there are bound to be these big catches and near misses.
The law of averages finally seems to have caught up with you. Your recent Nayagi didn’t do too well. The reviews weren’t kind either.
Let me just blame it on the unprofessional ways of the production unit. My heart was not in the job after legal issues surfaced. I shouldn’t be dwelling further on this matter, considering that the matter is now in court.
You’ve been doing a lot of horror films recently. There was Aranmanai 2 , and then Nayagi , and now, you’re doing Madhesh’s Mohini ? Surely, you must be getting tired of the genre?
I don’t mean to stop doing them entirely. After back-to-back movies in the horror genre, it is true that I’ve started looking out for some different subjects.
Every genre has its charm. I have been part of rom-coms, action films, thrillers... I’m experienced enough to simply draw from previous work and merely fine-tune performances to do justice to my roles. I am, after all, paid for that, and anything short of it will only make me feel guilty.
The first look of Mohini suggests high production values. A large part of the shoot, it is reported, took place in London?
It is a dream role. There is so much quality content beyond the limitations of the horror genre. There is also a lot of action, and there have been no compromises on the budget of the film. I relished some of the sequences, especially those shot underwater. It’s the sort of film that stays with you long aflter the work is over.
You have a huge fan base in both Tamil and Telugu cinema. How do you meet their demand, if you do indeed try to keep in mind their expectations?
I have derived much joy in interacting with my fans right from the beginning of my career. Thanks to social media, it is simpler now. I appreciate honesty. When my performance is below par, I am the first one to recognise it. Hypocrisy has no place in my dictionary. That perhaps explains my longevity, as I am able to recognise and eliminate my flaws. Criticism from any quarter is fine, but it has to be healthy and unbiased.
Of all the films you’ve done, any special mentions?
Abhiyum Naanum broke the shackles of commercial cinema. Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa , also, is a film I am greatly proud to have been a part of. You hardly get such characters. And that you get paid for doing such roles is the beauty of this profession, I guess.
What’s the secret behind your success in Telugu cinema?
I have to credit the author-backed roles in Telugu films like Varsham , and Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana which fetched me the Nandi award. Later on, Stalin (Chiranjeevi), Athadu and Sainikudu (both with Mahesh Babu) helped substantiate my early gains. The balance factor is restored in Telugu cinema when you get great roles that offset the glamour expectaions of a potboiler.
Comparatively speaking, success eluded you in Tamil cinema for the longest time.
I did get good projects like Enakku 20 Unakku 18 and Manasellam, but they were relative failures at the box-office. Saamy changed my fortunes. The orthodox Bhuvana character won me admirers. Ghilli then hit the bull’s eye. The village girl, Dhanalakshmi, was a girl every family could relate to. I was not just the Chellam of Prakash Raj in the movie, but of the audiences.
What about your work in Bollywood work? After Khatta Meetha , you haven’t signed any other film?
When the offer came from Priyadarshan, I decided to give Hindi cinema a shot. I don’t think that the doors are close; I am still open to doing Hindi films, but the role needs to be right and meaningful. My career is established in South India; so for the moment, I have no complaints.
Bollywood has had a long history of embracing Tamil actresses.
The problem is, I’d have to shift to Mumbai and adopt another language. Why take on such pressure when the going is great here for me?
Any directors you’d like to work with?
There’s a lot of young talent out there. Soodhu Kavvum brought the turnaround, I guess. Today’s young directors are not thinking differently for the sake of it, but with a commitment to take Kollywood to the next level.
I would deem it a privilege to work for them.
Any unfulfilled dreams? You haven’t yet worked with Rajinikanth?
That’s still a regret. I am an eternal optimist, and so, I’m still hopeful of that. Who would not like to be paired with the Superstar! But if it doesn’t happen, I’ll just believe it wasn’t meant to be.
