Asha Aravind doesn’t have awards or a large number of movies to boast about. But she is happy with the roles she has played so far. Be it a very small role in her debut movie Arike in 2012 or as Sreenivasan’s wife in Swargathekkal Sundaram, Asha says that for a person who has appeared for many advertisements — including famous national and international brands — movies are definitely a bonus.
However, she had a small regret. Despite being a person who likes to be happy and loves humor, she had only played serious or mature characters. This was until Basheerinte Premalekhanam happened.In the movie, this Kottayamkari has portrayed the role of Saramma, a Christian maid with a sense of humor.
“Director Aneesh Anwar called me regarding a role in the movie and asked me send a couple of photographs in Chattaem Mundum. After seeing the photographs he asked me to enact a small portion, which he had narrated, in this attire. He said I was apt for the role. He is definitely an awesome director to work with,” she says. Explaining more about her character, Asha says Saramma in many ways has significance in the movie as the love letters that Basheer sends to Suhra are misinterpreted as the ones sent to Saramma, as they are stolen from Vaikom Muhammed Basheer’s book Premalekhanam. The book deals with Keshavan Nair and Saramma’s love story.
“This is a new genre for me. I thoroughly enjoyed playing Saramma, which I guess is evident from the feedback I have received,” she added.
When asked about the response to the movie, she says the promotion technique lagged a little bit after the movie’s release, which has affected it adversely. She, however, stresses that Basheerinte Premalekhanam is a brave attempt by the director who didn’t cast any superstars in it.
Asha is presently working on Kalyanam, the movie that will mark the debut of actors Mukesh and Saritha’s son Shravan. Asha will play Mukesh’s wife in the movie. Giving a glimpse into her character, she says this too is a mature role. The movie deals with the relationship between two neighbouring families whose son and daughter fall in love with each other.
