Isha Talwar, a known face in the modelling circuit, is waiting for her Tamil debut, Thillu Mullu . The remake of the Rajinikanth hit is directed by Badri and stars Mirchi Siva and Prakash Raj among others. The Economics graduate and Kathak dancer made her film debut with Thattathin Marayathu , in Malayalam, where she played the shy and silent Aisha Rehman.
Modelling was her ticket to success. Remember her from the Pizza Hut, Vivel Fairness Cream and Dulux Paints advertisements? In fact, the cinematographer of Thattathin… noticed her in a commercial she did for Dhathri Fairness Cream.
Although she played a girl of few words in Thattathin …, Isha worked to get her dialogues right. She signed up for Malayalam classes with a trainer in hometown Mumbai, and rehearsed her lines on the terrace of her house with her little brother.
Besides language, there was also the cultural barrier. Isha says her Malayali friends in college (St. Xaviers) helped her get into the skin of the character. Preparing for the character also involved learning to play the guitar.
How was it working with veteran actor Sreenivasan in her debut? “Initially, I was intimidated. But, he put me at ease. Just watching him act was like a lesson in acting.” As for Vineeth, his son and her director, she says, “He is a gem of a person. A professional who knows his craft. He helped me understand the character because in real life, I am such an extrovert. Also, we worked on a tight schedule and stuck to it.”
Isha says she is looking at scripts in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil, but is yet to sign on the dotted line. “I am looking forward to playing a variety of roles. I want to push my limits.”
