Few films like Sarpatta Parambarai have turned out to be a break-out feature for the majority of their cast. Dushara Vijayan, who played Mariyamma in that film, became a fan favourite for her stellar performance. The arc of the character, which ranged from a shy to-be-bride in love, to a wife who stands up to her alcoholic husband, also helped her test her acting chops.
“I view my life as pre and post-Sarpatta," says Dushara, who will be once again be seen under Pa. Ranjith's direction in Natchathiram Nagargiradhu, a romance drama that opens on August 31.
Dushara plays the character of Rene in the film. "Like Mariyamma, Rene is also bold and fierce; she doesn't shy away from expressing her opinions." But bringing Rene to life wasn't as easy as it was with Mariyamma. "As I am also loud in real life, Mariyamma felt closer to me. But I found Rene to be someone more responsible; someone who behaved differently from Mariyamma or even myself. That made it challenging," she explains.
Dushara says she found help with a pre-shoot workshop that was conducted by Indianostrum, a Pondicherry-based theatre troupe. "We had such a workshop for Sarpatta too, where people from North Madras taught us their slang and talked about the way of life there. Here, we had to learn the exaggerated approach to acting in theatre, something that adds beauty to the art form."
Director Pa. Ranjith with Dushara
The young team also ensured that there was something new every day for Dushara to learn. "There was healthy competition amongst the actors which was lovely," she says.
Like the previous Ranjith film, this too boasts a big roster of actors, including Kalidas Jayaram, Kalaiyarasan, Shabeer Kallarakkal, Hari Krishnan, Subatra Robert, and Charles Vinoth. "When we act in films like these, the cast members become like family. I never felt like a newcomer in Sarpatta thanks to the caring environment. Here, it felt like I was vacationing with friends."
Apart from the craft, Dushara says she learned a lot about life and love from the film. Natchathiram Nagargiradhu is billed as an all-inclusive, contemporary exploration of love. "Love entails a lot of emotions. The film will explore all those feelings, help us understand them, and urge us to respect them.”
The all-inclusive nature of love is an important idea that Dushara hopes reach the masses. "If people are accepting the change, it means that someone somewhere started the discussion. This film is one such step forward."
The promo material of Natchathiram Nagargiradhu revealed that the film will represent queer love, with characters questioning heteronormativity. The idea that someone like Ranjith — whose voice started a new wave in Tamil cinema that questioned oppressors and spoke against caste-based discrimination — will be speaking about queer love has added much hype to the film.
However, Dushara clarifies that the film per se is not an LGBTQIA+ film. "Yes, we have spoken about it, but it is not just that. The film is about how love is political. In fact, the caste politics that is involved in love is a major theme."
But Dushara does hope and wishes that the film creates more awareness about queer love and the LGBTQIA+ community. The life of trans-actor Sherin Celin Mathew is something that she looks back to while discussing this. Sherin, who has acted in Natchathiram Nagargiradhu, passed away in May this year. "She once spoke about the hardships she went through, and I wondered why we haven't understood them yet."
With co-star Kalidas Jayaram
Natchathiram Nagargiradhu has also changed the way Dushara looks at cinema. She says that it has helped her understand her purpose. Up next, she has a film with Balaji Mohan and one with Sy Gowthamraj (of Raatchasi fame), both of which are light-hearted. "These films will show that I don't go for just hard-hitting roles, and that I can pull off lighter characters as well."
Dushara hopes to be a source of inspiration to young women with dreams to make big in cinema. “Back in my hometown, Kanniyapuram (Dindigul), people usually get married or have kids at my age. So I want to inspire those who dream.” She urges all such young women to believe in their dreams. “What happened to me was not because of luck, but due to hard work, patience, and love for cinema.”
Love for the art is a must, she emphasises. “Yes, we get money and fame, but there is nothing equal to the sense of victory I feel when I see myself on the screen. I don’t care if the film has a big hero or think about the type of character I play. Even if I appear for just two minutes, I should create an impact.”
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