After the Kamal Haasan-starrer Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu in 2006, Kamalini Mukherjee is back to Tamil cinema with Karthik Subbaraj’s Iraivi, which is releasing this Friday. Naturally, you can’t help but ask her about the long gap; the actress responds with a smile, “The reception that I got from everybody for a brief role in Gautham’s film is humongous. It’s good that people still remember me despite me not doing any Tamil film. So, I wanted to follow it up with something different, fresh and better. That’s how Iraivi happened.”
In fact, the actress says she doesn’t mind waiting for substantial roles. Kamalini reasons out: “I knew that I wanted to play this character when Karthik narrated the script. Iraivi is a coming-of-age story. I was quite impressed by his onscreen characters and the space each of them occupied. I am paired up with SJ Suryah in the film. I play a modern woman, who’s fiercely independent, balancing work and home. One can see the different layers of the character as the story progresses.”
She adds the acting part was quite challenging. “I am not saying I found it tough. Because it’s been many years since I did a Tamil film. But the crew put me totally in ease. Everybody shared a good camaraderie on the sets. In particular, I found SJ Suryah cheerful and motivating. He’s one heck of an actor, someone who can get into the role completely once the camera is on. Also he’s completely a positive person to work with. I had a great time shooting the film, overall,” she says.
To her, languages aren’t as important as the scripts. “Every role that I have done is drastically different. As an actor, I aim to do varied roles and I try to make the most out of what I get. Languages haven’t been my problem. I am good at them and have managed to even pick up Telugu as well. I still find Malayalam a bit complex, but I can manage,” she says.
Quiz Kamalini about her favourite actors, and her answer in a nutshell is, “I am a huge fan of performances.” She goes on to tell us about her love for Chennai. “A majority of the portions were shot in Chennai and Vizag. I am constantly amazed by the diversity of food in Chennai. Fish, especially! Each one is so distinct, teasing out a different taste from the same set of spices. The more I think about it, the more I feel like dropping by the city often. I was glad to be here and I ate a lot of fish curry, which kept me happy,” she laughs.
What’s next? “I haven’t planned anything as of now. But I am shooting for a Malayalam film. I also write, travel and cook. I see myself writing more in the near future. Meanwhile, I miss being a part of amateur theatre plays, which I did many years ago. Who knows, I might go back to where I started,” she signs off.
