©
2000-2009123kerala.com
|
| I will face gossips with a smile: Lakshmi Rai
|
|
 |
She is only three films old in Malayalam. But her performances as the glamour girl in
‘Rock n Roll’, the cute Tenmozhi in ‘Annan Thambi’ and the stylish Maya in ‘2 Harihar Nagar’
has put Lakshmi Rai in good standing in Malayalam cinema.
Though she made her debut in the Tamil movie ‘Karkka Kasadra’, the actress who was not able to deliver big hits in other languages proved to be a lucky star in Malayalam. Out of the three Malayalam movies she has acted in, ‘Annan Thambi’ and ‘2 Harihar Nagar’ became block busters. “It’s not just because of the success of my Malayalam movies that I love Kerala. Malayalam cinema and Kerala have always been dear to me.
I love this place for its scenic beauty, culture and the affection that Malayalis have for me. I am lucky to have acted with the superstars of Malayalam cinema, Mammootty and Mohanlal. Acting with such great men gave me an opportunity to learn many things. It was such a wonderful experience,” says Lakshmi.
‘2 Harihar Nagar’, the sequel to the 1990 block buster ‘In Harihar Nagar’, which was released early this year, gave Lakshmi a grand breakthrough. Lakshmi bestows the credit for the success of the film on writer-director Lal. “Before we began shooting for the film, I watched ‘In Harihar Nagar’. I decided to try something different to give a novel look to Maya. Lal gave me the green signal. He is a director who is so brilliant in conversing with the actors and making them understand what he expects out of them,” Lakshmi says.
There’s more in store for her in Mollywood in the days to come. Shafi’s Mammootty starrer ‘Chattambi Naadu’, Rosshan Andrew’s Mohanalal starrer ‘Karshakasree’ and ‘Casanova’ will feature her in prominent roles. Ask Lakshmi why her success mantra works only in Mollywood and she says, “I am hopeful that when I am paired with the right person it will give me a break in Tamil.” The actress is yet to team up with the superstars of Kollywood such as Rajnikanth, Kamalhasan, Vijay, Ajith and Surya. Her role in the recently released Tamil movie ‘Vamanan’ saw Lakshmi at her glamorous best. She will soon be seen in the sequel of ‘Naan Avan Allai.’ Her entry into filmdom happened by chance. “Director Udhayakumar was looking for a fresh face for ‘Karkka Kasadra’.
| |
| |
|
|
| |
My portfolio reached him through a model co-ordinator and he asked me to come to Chennai.
After a formal screen test I was selected,” says Lakshmi who won the ‘Miss Belgaum’ title from 2002 to 2004.
How vital is the support of her parents in her career? “Ours is a close-knit family. We are three sisters and I am the youngest and most pampered. My parents are supportive. Without them, I’d have reached nowhere.” From Sreesanth to Team India’s captain M S Dhoni, Lakshmi has been linked with many. “Rumours are part of the industry that I am in. The media gives positive and negative publicity. Once you have entered filmdom, be prepared to face gossip and face it with a smile. At least that’s what my policy is,” she says with a laugh.
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
