Life after Kaaka Muttai

Aishwarya Rajesh says she is willing to work in a film if the story is good

You must have seen her in Kaaka Muttai as the steely mother of two children living in the slums. She was praised by the critics for her convincing portrayal, which was seen as a welcome change from clichéd glamour doll. But when you see Aishwarya Rajesh, you can hardly believe that this glamorous commerce student from Chennai played that rustic character.

Aishwarya was in Coimbatore to inaugurate a lifestyle exhibition, and she bubbled with excitement as she talked about her post- Kaaka Muttai success and future plans. “ Kaaka Muttai has gone places. It’s a great feeling. There is respect from family and friends. The film has travelled to international festivals and I was able to meet big directors.”

The actress, who was also noticed for her roles in

Attakathi , 

Rummy  and

Pannaiyarum Padminiyum , said she would love to work with M. Manikandan again. “I am working in his next project called

Kutramum Thandanaiyum . But that is a small role. I would love to do a full-length role again in his film.”

She says she and the director share a good equation.

“He is extremely professional and strict at the sets. I had to do a lot of preparation for Kaaka Muttai. I had to literally spend every night and morning in the slums, observing the life of people there, and work on my diction.”

Apart from acting, Aishwarya is interested in watching films and loves to spend time with her friends. Aishwarya, who was first spotted for her performance in

Manaada Mayilada , is a trained Bharatanatyam dancer, too. 

Though she spends a lot of time on fitness, she is not obsessed with it, she says. “I take care of my body, do yoga and exercises. After entering films, I have been a little lax because of the hectic work. But I will soon find time.”

Her upcoming projects are Moo , Hello Naan Pei Pesuren and the Tamil remake of Jolly LLB. Asked if she would like to do films in other language films, she said, “I have just finished one film! And I am happy with the Tamil projects that I am getting. I would like to go at my own pace.”

But, she is determined todo varied roles. “My aim is to do all genres; both entertainment and art. I am open to doing glamour roles and commercial films. In Kaaka Muttai , I was offered a good character and it was anchored to a strong story. If the story is good, I am ready to play any role.”