Lakshmi Priyaa is not your regular actress. In the recently released Kallappadam , she played an actress past her prime who is willing to do anything to get back into the limelight — not quite the dream role for someone trying to establish herself in the industry. “Not really,” says Lakshmi, who was last seen playing a bold tribal girl in Sutta Kadhai . “My character might have negative shades but it is certainly an evolved one. One doesn’t just see her evil traits — her predicament is the result of all that she’s been through and that’s why she’s willing to cross moral boundaries to achieve what she wants. Her character is deep and layered. I feel it’s a dream role for someone like me.” Considering her track record, it won’t be surprising to see her do more such experimental roles. “When Vadivel (director of Kallappadam ) approached me, he said naan romba rasichu ezhuthina character (a character I loved writing). That’s what I want to hear when I’m approached for a film. I’m least bothered about the length of a role,” she says.
She is awaiting the release of two films and is currently acting in one. “In Yagavarayinum Naa Kaakka , my role is just 10 minutes long, but it has many shades and contributes to the film in a not-before-seen way. Apart from Yagavarayinum… , I have acted in the Nayanthara-starrer Maya and also play the lead in Kalam . None of these are your typical ‘heroine-type’ roles though.”
Lakshmi, however, is game. “I often wonder why I don’t get romantic roles like other heroines. I’m sure I’ll find them different and challenging. At the end of the day, who wouldn’t want to look pretty and happy?”
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