It's an honour to play Padmini in her biopic: Anu Mol

'I get excited about a character when I fall in love with her. I have fallen in love with Padmini,' says actress Anumol about her latest character in the film titled Padmini. A biopic on the Malayalam artist of the same name, it has

Anu Mol

playing the lead character. 'T K Padmini was one of the few woman artists in Kerala who had the courage to express herself through her art. She was born in 1940, at a time when it was unheard for a woman to be a painter. She died at the age of 29, from a difficult childbirth. But by that time, she had created an impressive repertoire of works,' she says.

The film is Anu Mol's second movie playing a real-life character, after

Ivan Megharoopan

. The shoot is over, and it was rewarding in more ways than one, says Anu Mol. 'Padmini lived in a village called Kadancheri, in Edappal, and we shot in the same location. I grew up nearby and so the paddy fields, the kind of clothes they wear and the way of speaking are all familiar to me. I liked all of it.'

While portraying a real-life person was an exciting experience, she had her share of fears too, admits the actress. 'We spoke to people who knew about Padmini and took their inputs. We also had some books as reference but only very few photos. We were particular that her family and relatives should not feel offended in any manner by the film. But they would often visit the set, and tell us stories about Padmini cheriyamma. They were quite supportive.'
The film is the result of the collective effort of a group of art enthusiasts, headed by Susmesh Chandroth, who is writing and directing the film. 'It's a small film, but everyone has put in a lot of effort into it, passionately. Many of the real-life artists in the film are played by their relatives or friends; CN Karunakaran is enacted by his own son, for example. Artist Namboothiri and V T Bhattathirippad are also part of the story.'

While Sanju Sivram essays Padmini's husband, who was also an artist, K Damodaran, Irshad plays her uncle, who supported her the most. Filmmaker Priyanandanan is also part of the cast.