Meera Vasudevan: I'm as excited as my character, Sumithra, to see her transformation on Kudumbavilakku

After over a decade, actress Meera Vasudevan made a return to the small screen, earlier this year, with the lead role of Sumithra in Kudumbavilakku. Just as the show was taking off, the pandemic brought things to a standstill, but “kudos to the team, who has a vision and a dream to make it happen in spite of the difficulties”, says the actress. She talks to us about her character on the show, how the lockdown has been and why she is so keen about fitness.

How did you make a comeback to TV with Kudumbavilakku?This role came to me unexpectedly, and I am grateful and glad to be part of the project. I had wanted to do something on women’s empowerment and this came at a good time. When I was told about this serial, I felt that this would be a landmark in my career and by God’s grace, I think I have been right. It is not a ‘run of the mill’ serial. It is realistic and true to life.

My character Sumithra sees awesome growth. She does her best for the family, thinking they will value her, but that doesn’t happen. Now, there will be a change that will open her eyes to her reality. I am as excited as my character to see the change she will go through. I enjoy the process every day of sitting with the team and discussing the best possible way to create an impact with each scene.

How has the reception of the serial been?
The serial started on a good note; it has been appreciated and criticised. During the lockdown, there was a sense of uncertainty, not just in the shoot, but about things in life. Today things are playing out better and we are gradually working to move on. In this serial too, Sumithra’s change is happening simultaneously. The shoot resumed after lockdown and we have completed a couple of schedules.

How has the shoot been under the new protocol?We received new guidelines before the shoot. We get a sanitiser on entering and through the shoot we are reminded to use it. The crew wears masks and the place is kept sanitised. We are shooting in a beautiful location and we were living there too, during the first schedule,

Tell us about your interest in fitness.Fitness is part of my life. During my pregnancy, because of hypothyroidism, I had gained a lot of weight. And also, with how things panned out in my personal life, things were on a downward spiral. And gaining back my health was also about getting control of my life again. It wasn’t just about losing weight and attracting attention. It was about reclaiming myself.
Being fit has helped me come out of my worst situation; it healed me and made me a better and more competent woman and mother, and more confident and empowered. I wish to inspire other women too. My son also trains with my trainer, Anand Xavier in Thiruvananthapuram with whom I have created an online fitness programme.

How did you spend the lockdown?The lockdown was a wonderful time for reclaiming myself, my space and creativity. It gave me time to slow down and relax. I completed a neuro-linguistic progamming course. I lost nearly 10 kg. And the best thing of all was that I got to spend plenty of time with my son.

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