Behind the screen with Trisha!

Having sustained for 13 years in the industry Trisha is unfazed by her contemporaries. After losing several opportunities to act with Dhanush, Trisha has finally been cast opposite him in Kodi, a political thriller, where she portrays a wily politician. Here is an excerpt from an exclusive tête-a-tête with DC.

Diwali, to me, is.. about Indian clothes, sweets at home and catching up on all the new releases. On her role in Kodi, she says, “It’s completely opposite to what I did in VTV. My role in Kodi is as important as that of Dhanush’s. When I heard the script, I was wondering if people would accept me in a negative role. It is something I have never attempted so far. I play Rudra, a rural girl, who is politically inclined and extremely ambitious.

On accepting the role, she quips, “Initially, I thought it would be a sort of run-of-the-mill story. There’s a cute romance and enemity between us.” Talking about Dhanush stealing the show each time, she says, “This happens with any great actor on the sets. I faced a similar situation with Manorama aachi in Saamy and Prakash Raj sir. They come casually and they steal the scene. Dhanush is a brilliant performer and a selfless actor. He insists the other actors in the frame are equally good. For him, the film and the product are important.”

Justifying not dubbing for her scenes, she says, “Rudra is very rural — she is born and bred in Tamil — which is very political and native. I didn’t think I could carry it off. I did dub for six of my films but those were based on the characters I played.” The Thoongavanam actress says that she has no regrets on missing opportunities — “It’s okay. I was meant to do Aadukalam with Dhanush, which went on to win several national awards. In fact, we shot for a few days as well. There’s a time for everything. I’ve no regrets.”

Trisha seems to be least intimidated by the presence of another actress – Anupama Parameswaran — in Kodi. “I am very selfish as an actor, selfish as a person. I am only worried about myself. I don’t know if that is good or bad. Being in the industry, it has worked well for me. This is not my first multi-starrer, I have done many in the past. In Kodi, I know my character will stand out.”

So, what is her agenda now? — “If I like the script, I will go on board,” she asserts. “Otherwise, I am okay to sit at home for three to six months and be happy with that space. I feel very blessed that for the last six months, people are coming to me with scripts written for me, in different genres. That makes me special,” she adds.

Are you politically inclined? — “No! Not now. Fifteen years back, I had said I won’t join films. Today I am here (laughs).” Trisha is clear about what she wants. “I am not in a relationship with anyone. I am single and peaceful after a long time (laughs). But I am open to love and I believe that I will only marry when I fall in love. Let’s see!”