A sign of really memorable acting is when people excitedly remember the character’s name. Much more than the actor’s. Akshara Gowda, who acted in that famous song in Arrambam, is popularly referred to as the ‘Stylish Thamizhachi’. She’s back in tinsel town with a slew of films. Here, she talks to us about Arrambam, her take on style and fashion, and her passion for dance.
*****
“I’m from Bangalore, and nobody from my family is into showbiz. Someone I know suggested I try modelling, since I’m tall. I took it up not for the money, but because I enjoyed it. One thing led to another, and here I am. There is a joke in India, that you decide what you want to do after you become an engineer. My mother had put me through engineering too.”
People feel that modelling is an easy choice for women. The glamorous life, from the ramp to parties, and the great clothes. What are your thoughts?
“Even I thought that modelling was a glamorous thing to do. Something that everyone would be in awe of. But it’s different from just that. There’s so much competition. A new girl turns up every day to become a model. And the schedules are hectic. Really, we just need to have clarity about what we are doing. Nothing is easy. For that matter, engineering is equally tough. It’s just that there isn’t a cameraperson shooting you at 2 am while you study. I have friends in other professions who think that my job is tailor-made for making easy money. But being under constant scrutiny is taxing.”
Every other young girl is fascinated with movies. They love to imitate their favourite actresses. Did you think you would be an actress someday?
“What’s meant to be, will be. I believe in that. Actresses with top billing were considered for the role in Arrambam. But I landed the role, without even auditioning.”
That’s astonishing. How did that happen?
“Maybe because I didn’t realise how big a deal it was. Actually, only after the film’s release did I understand the value of that film. I remember casually walking into Vishnuvardhan’s office and chatting with him. It surprised him. He thought my personality would suit the role of the rich and spoilt Deeksha.”
Deeksha isn’t exactly a likeable character. Her dialogues ooze arrogance. It didn’t go down very well with ‘Thala’ fans. Although, they liked that she had guts.
“Apart from being a daddy’s girl, I’m nothing like Deeksha. I’m not vindictive or spoilt. I probably have the ‘swag’ that Vishnu wanted. He didn’t want it to be put on. There is a scene in the film where I ask Ajith to remove his sunglasses because it bothers me. For someone to actually make this scene look convincing, the attitude has to come from within. I’m guessing that being totally alien to the [status of the] actors in the film helped a lot. I didn’t hold back just because he was ‘Thala‘.”
Fashion is something everyone with spending money and trendy clothes can have. But style is inbuilt.
“I still remember watching the film in Bangalore with my mother. Even when people clicked pictures with me, my mother acted unimpressed. In a way, she keeps me grounded all the time. Arrambam has given me so much more recognition than I could ever have expected. Despite being someone who has been MIA for the past two years, I have people coming up to me at the airport, asking me if I am the ‘Stylish Thamizhachi’!”
Today, Ajith is one of Kollywood’s biggest stars. There is an air about him of being exclusive. He doesn’t attend public events, and every picture of his runs with the caption – ‘Rare pic of Ajith’. What is he like up close?
“I was totally chilled out with Ajith while working with him on Arrambam. He doesn’t have any airs. And, to be honest, I didn’t have any idea of how big a star he was. He was surprised at the way I spoke with him – without any reservations or apprehensions. He used to drink soda on sets, and I’d tell him to his face that it wasn’t good for his health. And I was totally unaware that he was into car racing. Vishnuvardhan really liked my interactions with him, and even incorporated them into some of our scenes.”
Until you began your acting career, you didn’t know much about South Indian cinema. How have your perceptions of Tamil cinema changed after working in them?
“Many aspiring actresses want to start off with Tamil cinema and then branch out to other languages. Before I ventured into Tamil cinema, I thought mainstream Kollywood films were trying hard to look like Bollywood. But now that I follow Tamil cinema, I’ve realise that we are way ahead of every other cinema industry. The new wave of young directors that have made films in the past 4-5 years have proved that films do not need a high budget to deliver high quality. Tamil cinema has hardworking and technically sound professionals.”
‘Stylish Thamizhachi’ was a rage, in part because of her killer moves in the song. How important is dance in your life?
“I am a trained Bharatanatyam dancer, but now I’ve also learned Aerial Silk, which is an art form which infuses yoga, aerobics and dance. We balance on long silk ropes. Dance is like therapy for me. It is very liberating. Whenever I sweat, I feel like it’s my tension leaving me. I’m so into dance that even now, during dance sequences in Bogan, I trouble our choreographer Raju Sundaram, telling him that I’m not getting to dance enough.”
You’re currently juggling your time between three films. How did that happen?
“I was here to attend a friend’s wedding, and suddenly I got all these offers. Talk about being in the right place at the right time!”
One of the films is Maayavan, a thriller directed by producer CV Kumar. Akshara plays an actress in the film. She is also part of Atlee’s maiden production, Sangili Bungili Kadhava Thorae, and Bogan, where she plays a cop. As we wrap up the interview, I can’t help but ask,
Will a cop get to dance in Bogan?
“Why not? If the cop is me, I will make sure the cop dances.”
*****
Photos by Sriram Narasimhan
