Hansika Motwani surprised many in the Tamil film industry when she agreed to star opposite the up and coming Sivakarthikeyan in Thirukumaran’s Maan Karate . It might be a big step forward for Sivakarthikeyan. But for Hansika, who has already been paired with top stars of Tamil cinema such as Suriya and Vijay, isn’t it a step down?
Ask her what convinced her to sign up for Maan Karate , and she says, “On the day I had agreed to star in the film, I had listened to four other scripts. It ( Maan Karate ’s script) was the most interesting I had heard on that day. Yet, when I wanted to do it, many advised me against taking it up. But, the fact that Sivakarthikeyan is a good actor and a saleable hero was enough for me to go ahead with the film.”
Maan Karate will be her big summer release. “Yazhini the character I play in the film is close to my real self. She loves sports like me but doesn’t like to go out in the sun. I particularly liked the way the scenes were written and have been staged. It will be a good film to enjoy this summer,” she says.
While the news of her break-up with actor Silambarasan is still doing the rounds, Hansika is keeping herself busy with films. At present, she is hopping between films sets. How difficult has it been to answer personal questions? “Whenever I am asked about my personal relationships, I politely reply, ‘No comments’. One and a half years ago, I was criticised for being overweight. But, after I lost around 12 kg, I received messages asking me to put on weight. So, there are always people who criticise you and there are those who encourage you. I don’t think I have been subjected to intense criticism even on social networking sites,” she says.
In the pipeline After Maan Karate , she will have a number of releases. Recently, she tweeted a bawdy poster of her next film, Romeo and Juliet, in which she is paired opposite Jayam Ravi. “As one can guess from the poster, it is a romantic comedy. But it has nothing to do with the actual tale of Romeo and Juliet .” She is simultaneously shooting for Meagamann , which has Arya in the lead, and Aranmanai , a thriller directed by Sundar C.
Being a mainstream actor, how does she carefully select good films from the dozens of roles that come her way everyday? “I haven’t yet reached a stage when I can pick and choose. The Tamil industry, while being better than all the other film industries when it comes to treating female actors, is still dominated by men. So, I can only work within the space offered to heroines and I think I am doing that,” she smiles.
