Ponniyin Selvan I marked Aishwarya Lekshmi’s first collaboration with Mani Ratnam.
Ponniyin Selvan II star Aishwarya Lakshmi exclusively told News18 Shosha that she was ‘terrified’ to play Ponguzhali after making it through the auditions.
In a career spanning six years, actress Aishwarya Lekshmi has already proved her mettle with some stellar performances. She made her debut with the Malayalam film Nandukaalude Nattil Oridavela (2017) co-starring Nivin Pauly and since then, there has been no looking back for her. In 2022, he gained nationwide attention for his brilliant portrayal of Ponguzhali in filmmaker Mani Ratnam’s historical action adventure film, Ponniyin Selvan I (2022). Despite limited screen time, she impressed critics and audiences alike with her performance as a fisherwoman in love with Arunmozhi Varman, a prince of the Chola Empire.
As she gears up for the release of Ponniyin Selvan II, News18 is exclusively with Aishwarya, who reveals she was ‘terrified’ to play Ponguzhali after making it through the auditions. “I didn’t think I would be able to pull off Poonguzhli. The one thing Mani sir said to give me confidence was, ‘Don’t worry, you can overcome this. And this character is sexy,'” she recalls.
For the 31-year-old, Poongujhali was a trailblazer as she was a symbol of feminism when it was unheard of. “At a time when you wouldn’t expect a woman to do a job that required so much physical strength, she was a woman who took people on a night journey across the sea by rowing a boat from one part of town to the other.” Transported in. . It requires a lot of physical and mental strength because you don’t know what can happen in the ocean,” she elaborates.
Aishwarya further states that it was Poongujali’s ‘fearlessness’ that spoke to her. “She is a boatman from a fishing community, but she is in love with the king even though she does not want what he cannot get. She is not expecting anything from him. Her love is pure,” she She further says
Ponniyin Selvan I marked his first collaboration with the filmmaker after O Kadhal Kanmani (2015) and Alaipayuthey (2000). Talking about the memorable experience being directed by her, Aishwarya commented, “The actor in me didn’t know for a while before [working with] Mani Sir. I forgot everything. I have very little in the film. But it didn’t concern me. It was about the experience of working with Mani sir and watching him work.”
Collaborating with him gave him discipline and made him fall in love with acting more than ever. “We usually preach and don’t practice, but with him, I saw how he approaches cinema, how he tells a story and how emotions are conveyed in every single frame. I feel I have become a better person and a better actor after working with him. I am much more disciplined now. My passion for my craft is manifold. When I think about doing my next films, I don’t think as a selfish actor,” says the Varathan (2019) actor.
Over the years, she has been appreciated for her choices and has received immense appreciation for women-centric narratives like Ammu, Archana 31 Not Out and Kumari (all releasing in 2022). While she agrees that there are very few good roles written for female actors, she considers herself fortunate to have a bunch of such stories in the limelight. “I have always been lucky to get good roles. My second film in Malayalam (Mayanadhi; 2017) was a love story and gave me a very well-written, writer-supported, female-centric role. So, I can’t complain. But I know it is rare to find such roles,” she explains.
The super success of Ponniyin Selvan I has given rise to a plethora of conversations and threads on social media. Fan theories, needless to say, keep pouring in. Ask her about it and Aishwarya smiles and says, “Fans have come up with a lot of theories. Ponguzhali is celebrated by all the readers of Kalki’s Ponniyin Selvan. Every time we go on a tour of different cities to promote the film, I get kind words from people! I find this very encouraging. They love the character but they have transferred that love to me as well.
Ponniyin Selvan II is presented by Subaskaran’s Lyca Productions. Jointly produced by Madras Talkies and Lyca Productions, it features music composed by AR Rahman and lyrics by Gulzar. The magnum opus is slated to release on April 28 in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. Ponniyin Selvan II also stars Chiyaan Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Trisha Krishnan, Karthi, Jayam Ravi and Sobhita Dhulipala.
,
read all latest movie news And Entertainment News Here
