Actresses don’t get as many opportunities as actors: Laila

Having made her debut with the Hindi film Dushman Duniya Ka in 1996, Laila marks 30 years in the film industry this year. The actress recently saw her 2002 film with Suriya, Mounam Pesiyadhe , find a new audience with its re-release.

In a chat with us, she shares why she has been picky with the films she chooses, what disappoints her about the offers that are coming her way now and what it’s like being an actress in the social media age…

‘Doing good roles has always been my only goal’“I don’t keep track of milestones. Doing good roles has always been my only goal. So far, it’s been a wonderful journey. Every film has been a new experience. Over the years, I’ve become hungrier for better roles and that’s not always good. As a female actor, you don’t get that many opportunities. At least, not as many as male actors. However, it’s getting better. Now, I’d love to do a women-centric web series.

‘MOUNAM PESIYADHE DIDN’T FEEL LIKE AN OLD FILM; IT DOESN’T LOOK DATED’ Mounam Pesiyadhe ’s re-release was almost like a release. I’m really happy that the younger audience received it well. I didn’t feel like I was watching an old film; it doesn’t look dated. The film’s setting is very much today. I think Ameer sir was very forward in thinking. He had made a few scenes crisper, and that made the film even better.

‘PARTHEN RASITHEN WAS THE FIRST FILM THAT PUT A SPOTLIGHT ON ME’ The very first film that put a spotlight on me was Parthen Rasithen . That’s when everyone thought, ‘This is a girl who’d possibly go far.’ And Nandha is one of the most memorable films I’ve done. Maybe some artistes might grumble about its shooting experience and say that’s not a good working environment. But between Suriya and me, we never bothered because we knew that we were coming out with a great film.

‘IT WAS HEARTWARMING TO WORK WITH MY CONTEMPORARIES FROM MY ERA IN GOAT’I considered The Greatest of All Time ( GOAT ) as an opportunity to work with Vijay sir. Everyone always told me that he is the one hero I haven’t worked with. However, I had shot a song ( Ennai Thalattum ) with him though he didn’t continue with that film ( Unnai Ninaithu ). But the audience felt I’ve not worked with him. So, with GOAT , I wanted to put it out there that I’ve worked with Vijay sir. It was also heartwarming to work with my contemporaries from my era.

‘I WAS TOUCHED THAT THE KANNADA AUDIENCE STILL REMEMBERS AND LOVES ME’My Telugu career began with Egire Paavurama (1997). It was amazing, but went by in a flash. Then, I came to Tamil cinema and I enjoyed every character I’ve played here even more. It was also a lovely experience working in Kannada. Recently, when I went to a movie event in Karnataka, the reception I got was so warm. I was touched that the Kannada audience still remembers and loves me. It was lovely to have the opportunity to work with big artistes like Shivarajkumar and Upendra. They are fantastic actors.

‘I CAN’T JUST SIGN ANY FILM THAT COMES MY WAY’I’m choosy. I can’t just sign any film that comes my way. I look at the film as a whole — co-stars, producer, storyline and my character — and then say ‘Yes’. When somebody comes to me and says, ‘Oh, you don’t worry. It’s just a mother’s character, you don’t need to know the script’, it’s disappointing and heart-wrenching. You can’t do anything with the character when they come to you with a role like that. The film industry needs to mature a bit and come up with good films that are not the same old basic stuff. Even on OTT, there are many genre films that aren’t the usual runof-the-mill.

Laila’s picks for a rerelease: Ullam Ketkumae and Pithamagan Ullam Ketkumae is one of my favourites; I love that film. It’s a youthful teenage film for the college-going audience that was very progressive for its time. And, of course, Pithamagan . It’s a great film that appeals to all ages. It’s both a mature and youthful film — all rolled into one. I’d say Manju from Pithamagan and Pooja from Ullam Ketkumae were closest to the real me. Manju stuck with me even after the shoot was done. I’d get frustrated and scream like her. It took a little while to get her out of my system.

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