Rajisha VijayanRajisha Vijayan is yet to come to terms with the recognition. She has been chosen the best Malayalam actress of the year for her debut performance.
The Kozhikode-based actress was acting with Vineeth Sreenivasan in Oru Cinemakkaran in Kochi when the news broke. She says she treated herself to loads of cakes and ice creams, pretty much like her character Elizabeth in Anuraga Karikkin Vellam would have done.
On the award
I was a bit dizzy from the moment the award was announced. That night, I went through the list of actresses who have received this award. All of them were big stars. It was incredible! I did not even know that my name was also being considered until two hours before the announcement came.
On the debut
Elizabeth in Anuraga Karikkin Vellam was a challenging role for a newcomer. She is someone who expresses herself in various degrees. Director Khalid Rehman told me to be natural from the very first day of shooting. He was very clear about what he wanted and how he wanted me to do it. Naveen Bhaskar has detailed the role of ‘Eli’ in his script.
The girl who wailed
I acted without glycerin in the scenes that required me to cry. My character was someone who switched emotions suddenly. She would be angry one moment and sad the next. But those expressions had to be subtle. The director, cameraman and everyone else on the set of the movie helped to perfect the role. We were a bit hesitant on how the people would accept a girl who boozed and cried aloud.
On preparation
I watched a lot of movies. Even when I went through old movies, I insisted that I should not be affected by anyone’s style. Dubbing voice was my weak point. I watched a lot of characters played by Urvasi chechi and took note of her voice modulation.
The twist in her career
I had attended several schools and colleges in various places because my father was in the army. I completed my journalism degree from Delhi but never took up a journalism job. I chose to be an anchor. I have my opinion on everything. I may not be allowed to voice my opinion if I became a journalist. I will have to set aside my opinion to discharge my duties honestly. I opted away from journalism because I did not want to thrust my opinions on others. Journalism is a tough job. I had got an offer to act in a movie within six months of becoming an anchor. I was waiting for a good role. I was hoping to act in a movie ever since I completed my degree course.
The burden of expectations
I do not see it as a burden. I see the award as an inspiration. I hope the award will help me give my 100 percent to the work. That is a pushing factor. Georgettan’s Pooram is my next movie to be released.
