Liberated by marriage: Amala Paul

There are some actresses who constantly throw up surprises with every role they do. Try to pigeonhole them into a certain slot, they won't stay there. Say Amala Paul and the first image that comes to your mind is a doe-eyed glamorous chick dressed in designer clothes — a role she was seen in a hundred times. But then again, think of her deglamourised roles in films like Mili or the recent Tamil Amma Kanakku and one is left confused. That is Amala’s USP — her ability to alternate between the conventional and the unconventional, the modern and the traditional and yet come out a winner every time.

The glam girl appeared dressed up in a printed short outfit at a theatre in Kochi for the promotion of her latest movie Shajahanum Pareekuttiyum and acknowledged her fans and posed patiently for a never-ending stream of selfies. Talking about her role in the movie, she says, “I play a very bubbly, happy and stylish car enthusiast named Jiah. How her craze for cars invites havoc to her life and the subsequent events form the rest of the plot.”

Paired up with Jayasoorya and Kunchacko Boban for the film, she says the shoot was like a vacation and that she found two new friends for life. Shajahanum Pareekuttiyum was her much-needed breezy film after a very powerful role in Amma Kanakku. Amala put in a high-octane performance as the deglam maid Shanti, the mother to a 13-year-old in Amma Kanakku that had some heavy emotional scenes. She was also required to transform her body to suit her role. Amala states that it was not an easy role because the character was way mature than her age.

She says, “I have played a lot of roles but when it comes to playing a mother where the entire story is carried on my shoulders, the onus was on me was to not fail. Dhanush produced the film and he had the best technicians and actors and there was huge pressure on me. I knew what I was getting into before I signed the film. I knew I would have to undergo a lot of changes physically, mentally and emotionally. My mother was my inspiration for my role of Shanti and I started watching her mannerisms.” She also gained weight for the film.

Asked about taking up roles that do not tread the usual commercial path, Amala answers, “I am a person who loves doing roles that excite me and don’t like monotonous ones.” Amala’s career graph has showed no slack after her marriage to Tamil director A.L. Vijay. Amala candidly says, “I don’t feel any difference. Frankly, I feel the industry is welcoming of married actors now! I am blessed that I have the privilege to choose roles I want to do; there is no pressure and I am enjoying this phase! If you have created a space for yourself, nobody is going to take that away from you.”

Talking about life after marriage, Amala’s eyes glow. “There was a time after marriage when I took a break because I was continuously working and wanted to explore my other interests. I travelled a lot, watched films and did things that excited me. Marriage has liberated me! I started realising what makes me happy and what I can do. Right now, I am in a phase where I am trying to understand and find happiness within myself and I have to thank my marriage for that! Marriage made me look outside my work and explore my other interest.”

Amala shares her work and seeks advice from her husband. She mentions, “If some script excites me, I tell him since he is a director. He was unsure if I could pull off my role in Amma Kanakkau but when he saw me on the sets, he complimented me saying that he did not see Amala anywhere in my character. He likes my work and he also shares his scripts with me but we also give each other a lot of space.”

Amala’s brother Abijith is entering films and she finds it strange to reconcile to the fact that he is now an actor. She adds, “He is my biggest support. He has always been like my little brother not my elder one because I am the bully in the family.” Malayalam or Tamil – where does her heart lie? Amala answers, “Both the industries are different. But every time I work in a Malayalam film, it is a rejuvenating experience. I am planning to take up more Malayalam films because I am getting some fabulous roles. Meanwhile, I am also doing one Kannada and Tamil film.”