The perfect debut: Amalda Liz

Her lissome, tall and striking looks have made her the favourite muse of many a designer whose clothes she has carried off with aplomb on runways. Amalda Liz is a well known name in Kerala’s modelling circuits, but not many know that modelling has always been the hors d’oeuvre, never the main dish for her.

Though the whirl of countless parties, fame and money combined with fittings and sittings is what constitute modelling, Amalda has never been enamoured and has always seen modelling as a ticket to gain entry into tinsel town. At long last, she has made her debut through Rajeev Ravi’s Kammattipadam in which she plays a rustic character Rosamma spanning two different looks and is receiving wide appreciation for her performance.    

Amalda explains about landing the role, “It is six years since I have been modelling but I have always been trying to get into films; I went for numerous auditions but nothing worked out the way I wanted it to. In between, I also attended an acting course. It was Rajeev Ravi who told me about the role and though I knew it was small, as a debut, I could not have asked for a better entry!”

Obviously, the beautiful girl is as pleased as punch with the recognition coming her way. Amalda lost weight to get into the skin of her character. The weight loss was not suggested by her director but something she decided would add authenticity to her character.

She says, “I play two different time frames — a younger me and an elderly me. The first schedule shot was of the younger version in the 70s and I had made up my mind that my different looks would be reflected in my body as well. So I lost 10 kg to play the younger me and put on weight to play the older me.”

Amalda though is very modest about her transformation mentioning that it was not only herself, but all her other co- actors who lost and gained weight. Like with the other cast and crew, Amalda too has only good words for her director, “Rajeev is a person who gives immense freedom. It was my  first film, but he still did not give me any suggestions."

Asked if she was nervous performing with seasoned actors, Amalda answers, “From my interactions with Rajeev, I understood that I was in safe hands because Rajeev could extract good performances from his actors. As for Dulquer Salmaan, my very first dialogue opposite him was a lengthy one and I was too busy memorising it that I did not have time to be nervous!" Amalda has got some offers and is biding her time.