Singer-turned-actress
Swagatha S Krishnan
has begun work on her next, a rural subject, tentatively titled
Born Yesterday
, with director
Raj Rajan
, in Madurai.
Interestingly, the offer to act in this film came to her via email. “Raj is based out of Hyderabad and is an independent filmmaker. He and his team wrote to me saying that they were looking to cast a female lead for their film. I wrote back asking for the synopsis. I read the gist and I was very impressed with it, but then, I got busy with another film. A few days later, a singer reached out to me, saying that Raj’s team was trying to get in touch with me. So, I met the director in Hyderabad and sat down for a narration. I was blown away listening to this beautiful story. I had lots of questions, and he answered them patiently,” she says, adding, “The film is based on a real story that happened to someone he knew. I kept asking him if he was sure that I would be apt for the role, but he was certain I could pull it off without even an audition or a screen test! I gave my first shot a few days ago in Madurai.”
The filming is taking place in Kovilpappakudi, a village near Madurai. “The film is about Lachumi, her husband, their son and his three friends. It is a beautiful children’s film for adults,” states Swagatha.
Giving us insights into her role, she says, “Lachumi is a daily wage worker. There is a bond that my character and her son share, and I am so thankful that it worked out beautifully. Lachumi is a bold woman, who loves her son, and is his best friend. She is ambitious and wants to make her son into a man of value to the society and put him on the right path.”
Even though Swagatha has her roots in Madurai, getting into the skin of Lachumi was a task, she admits. “I grew up in an urban set-up in Madurai and I have been in Chennai for 10 years now. So, I had shed the influence Madurai and Chennai had on me to get into the role of Lachumi. I even had to peel off my gel nail polish,” she smiles.
“I went to the location two days before the shoot to observe the people of the village. I learnt to tie the sari the way they do, wear jewellery like them, and even observed their mannerisms. Once I got into my look, most people on the set couldn't even recognise me. The villagers felt I was one among them. What is more gratifying for an artiste than that?” she asks.
While Aravinth Sundar plays her husband, child artiste Vijay will be seen in her son's role. “I’ve wrapped up my portions in the first schedule and will be joining the team again in May. I am really kicked about this project,” says Swagatha, who has two more films in the pipeline.
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