When Rajisha Vijayan chose the movie Gerogettan's Pooram, she had only one aim in mind. She wanted to break the image Eli of Anuraga Karikkin Vellam left in the audience’s mind.
She is happy that things are moving as she expected. If Eli was a hyperactive and emotionally charged person, Merlin is a spiritual and soft-spoken girl who wants to become a nun.
“Usually I look at the script while selecting a movie. But this time, I gave importance to the character as I wanted to create a new image. Also, the story line of Georgettan's Pooram is interesting. The screen space for Merlin is not so much but she is a strong woman who doesn't easily fall for the guy who tries to woo her,” says Rajisha.
It wasn't easy to portray a girl who has made up her mind to become a nun. “She is spiritual. At the same time, she is in a dilemma as the decision is not hers,” says Rajisha. During the shooting, she met a few girls who were preparing for nunhood. Interacting with them helped Rajisha understand the hardships involved in the transition.
“A few sequences were shot on the church premises where I could meet these girls. I used to reach the spot early and observe them. One girl who came for the shooting told me how she realised it was not the path meant for her after the training session. It is very difficult. You have to sacrifice a lot of things,” says Rajisha. “Also, I had studied in a convent school for two years. There, my teachers were nuns. I really admired them. They might look tough outside but were kind at heart,” adds Rajisha, who won the 2016 state award for the best actress.
She says that the achievement has never become a criterion while selecting movies. "I am here to act. I just want to be a part of good movies. The award is an indication that I am on the right track and want to continue acting. Also, Georgettan's Pooram happened before the awards were declared. I am a newbie and just two-movie-old. I have only started picking up things,” she says.
Right now, she is shooting for Oru Cinemakaran opposite Vineeth Sreenivasan.
Rajisha says, “It narrates the story of an aspiring filmmaker who falls in love with my character and the two elope. It is a small and sweet love story.”
