Role matters, not length: Actress Muthumani

Kochi: Juggling various hats is as effortless as breathing for Muthumani. She is a student of law, a dancer, a mono act performer as well as a theatre artiste in addition to proving her mettle as an actress.

She started off with noticeable roles in Rasathanthram and Innathe Chintha Vishayam in which she shared screen space with Mohanlal. She has also acted with the other superstar, Mammootty. In her kitty are forthcoming films like How Old Are You, Munarriyippu and Njan.

The much talked about Manju Warrier starrer HOAY, will see Muthumani in the role of a revenue officer, a colleague of Manju.

“She is an amazingly versatile actor. I am a big fan of hers, so my excitement levels were really high! Some artistes perform so well that they leave you spellbound and then when you shake off that spell, you want to match up to them,” says Muthumani, of the experience of working with the veteran actress.

Munarriyippu has her playing a cameo as a Delhi-based journalist. But it is her role in the Ranjith directed Njan that has her all excited and she explains why,

“This is a period film where the past (1930s) and the present are both shown in the movie. I play the very challenging role of a sixty-year-old North Malabari woman in the 1930s and I am challenged as an artiste in this role.”

Despite her proven talent, Muthumani has not bagged any lead roles.

She counters, “I have done around eight films so far and in all my films, it is not the length of the role but the space and scope for performance which has been a deciding factor. There is not a single role that I regret doing.”

Her husband Arun has turned scriptwriter with the film Nellika and she emphasises on the complete support he has provided.

Theatre has taken a backseat for now and Muthumani explains why, “Theatre demands commitment, in movies, I can come, play my part and go but theatre is a different ball game. Here you have to take care of the costumes, the art work etc and rehearsals have to be diligently done for the play to work well.”

She hopes to return to theatre this year. She adds that theatre has helped in making her spontaneous and shun inhibitions which has worked to her advantage.