Actress Ishwarya Menon is a happy woman, and for good reason. She’s been receiving accolades for the multiple roles essayed by her in the recently-released parody film Tamizh Padam 2.
An engineer by qualification, Ishwarya is most definitely an actor at heart. Talking about her passion for the craft, she says, “My entire family is academically inclined; my brother is a doctor. Though my parents did not approve of my stint in tinsel town initially, I convinced them by saying that every industry has its pros and cons and that I wanted to pursue my passion. My career began with a Kannada movie,” Ishwarya reveals.
Though her debut film, Veera, which released earlier, didn’t do her much good, Tamizh Padam 2 has definitely brought her into the limelight. “I watched CS Amudhan’s Tamizh Padam when I was in school, and I was a great fan of it. When the makers approached me for the sequel, I was very happy. The icing on the cake was that I had three different roles to play. Of course, I had to audition before I was brought on board,” the actress says.
The film features several scenes in which Ishwarya’s character takes digs at the top heroines of Tamil cinema. As a newcomer, was that daunting for her? “Basically, it is a spoof. You should have a hearty laugh and enjoy it. That’s all! It’s not meant to hurt anyone,” she says, adding, “What was written in the script, I performed on screen.”
Talking about the casting couch issue that has been in the news of late, she says, “God has been very kind to me. Fortunately, I have met the right people in the industry, and they’re all very professional.”
Ask her if she is open to sporting glamorous, revealing outfits, and she replies, “I strongly feel that you cannot last long with a “glam” tag. To a certain extent, yes, I am okay with glamorous outfits that are comfortable, if the script demands it. But I am not for skin show.”
Ishwarya currently has a Telugu project in her kitty. She’s also in talks to do two Tamil films.
