Raai Laxmi makes her comeback in Mollywood, says Malayalam films certified her as an actor

Raai Laxmi, who has played both the village belle and seductive lover in Malayalam, is making her comeback to Mollywood after a gap of six years. In ‘DNA’, her upcoming film helmed by T S Suresh Babu, she plays IPS officer Rachel Punnoose. The actor, who was last seen in Mammootty-starrer ‘Oru Kuttanadan Blog’ is excited to be back in a Malayalam film, playing a serious character this time.
In her latest interview with Onmanorama, Raai reveals why Mollywood will always hold a special place in her heart. “The industry gave me the opportunity to play de-glam and non-commercial roles. Nobody who had known me till then thought I could play a village wife role. Even I had doubts if I could pull of such characters, but this industry gave me that confidence,” Laxmi said.

She calls herself lucky to have been associated with superstars and having so many back to back hits. When asked about her most memorable role in Malayalam, she said, “I have quite a few. There was Rock N Roll, Annan Thampi, 2 Harihar Nagar...I can go in order. These films had great scripts and it has given me some credit to my journey as a great actor. In fact, it was Malayalam films that certified me as an actor,” she added.
So, what made her say yes to a Malayalam film only after six years. “I have been busy with movies in other languages too. Also, in DNA, I get to play a role I have not done in Malayalam. Rachel Punnoose is a serious police officer who is committed to her work. Though I have played IPS officer roles in other languages, this is a new role for me here. Also, I have been waiting to play an independent role in Malayalam, since I have been mostly associated as a heroine or the hero’s love interest in my other outings here,” she said.

The actor also reveals her take on women-oriented movies and the argument that there are fewer women seen in commercial films in Kerala. “I think women are playing good roles in Malayalam when compared to other industries. Also, generally, the market has opened to women-centric movies, which have been hits. Even I have been part of women centric movies of late. I think it is a huge responsibility as literally, you are the hero of the film. The business happens through you and in your name. Hats off to all the male heroes who have been shouldering that for years. The trends are changing now and people are accepting films of all genres,” she said.
DNA, which will hit theatres on June 14 also features Ashkar Soudan, Babu Antony, Riyas Khan, Aju Varghese, Ranji Panicker, Irshad Raveendran, Hannah Reji Koshy, Iniya, Gouri Nanda, Swasika, among others.