Aishwarya Lekshmi, a versatile actor who has worked in several languages, is overwhelmed by the love and appreciation she has received for her role as Poonguzhali in Mani Ratnam’s epic film, “Ponniyin Selvan”. Despite having limited screen time, her character has made a lasting impact on the audience. The film is based on Kalki Krishnamurthy’s popular Tamil novels of the same name and follows the story of Arulmozhivarman, who went on to become the great Chola emperor Rajaraja Chola I.
In an interview with PTI, Lekshmi expressed her surprise and gratitude for the love she has received for her role. “I never expected my character to be appreciated, accepted or loved like this,” she said. “My character Poonguzhali didn’t have a lot of screen time but she was a well-formed person in her own right. She is fearless, fierce, she does all the physical work that is necessary,” she added.
Lekshmi, who has played strong characters in all the languages she has worked in, feels that her characters share a common thread – they are all capable of rising to the occasion. “I have been lucky enough to portray strong characters in all the languages that I have worked in, more than strong, very well-written. I feel there is a similarity that all of them have survived something, all of them are capable of rising to the occasion,” she said.
Despite the cultural differences in each character, Lekshmi believes that the similarity between them surpasses the differences. “However, there are cultural differences in each character because the culture of the state comes into play. I would like to believe that similarity surpasses the differences,” she said.
Lekshmi feels honored to have acted in a Mani Ratnam movie and to have played Poonguzhali, who is considered an icon by the readers of Kalki’s novel. “I feel honored that I could play Poonguzhali because the readers of Kalki’s ‘Ponniyin Selvan’, the novel, (have said) she was an icon. I am glad I could play her. I am glad that I could be part of Mani Ratnam sir’s movie,” she said.
Overall, Aishwarya Lekshmi is grateful for the opportunity to work in “Ponniyin Selvan” and for the love and appreciation she has received for her role. The film features a star-studded cast and has been well-received by audiences. “Ponniyin Selvan II” was released last week and has already become a huge success.
