The actor returns to the big screen with Malayalam film ‘Archana 31 Not Out’ releasing on Friday
Aishwarya Lakshmi is going to Kannur by road to shoot for the upcoming Malayalam Misswhen we manage to talk about her movie Archana 31 not out Releasing in theaters on February 11.
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,Archana… Has been working for some time due to pandemic and lockdown. I heard the story while shooting for 2019 Argentine fans, I enjoyed the narrative about a 28-year-old primary school teacher in Palakkad, a spirited, determined soul who had to sit through 31 formal boys-and-girls sessions,” she says.
Through Archana, the audience meets the people in the village of Palakkad and listens to their stories. “It’s a film that will make you think about the many social conventions that we often take for granted, even when they make us uncomfortable,” she says.
Directed and co-written by debutant Akhil Anilkumar, Archana… is the first female-centric film that Aishwarya has featured in. Indran, Anju Joseph, Ramesh Pisharodi, Rajesh Madhavan, Sunil Sukhada and Mini KS join the cast.
After this it is also her first film in Malayalam to reach theatres. Brothers Day (2019). In 2021, Aishwarya has two OTT releases – Dhanush-starrer Jagme Tandiram in Tamil (Netflix) and kanekkane In Malayalam (Sonylive). She was also seen in the segment ‘Nizal Tharam Idham’ in the anthology Putham Pudhu Kalai Vidyadha… It was released on Amazon Prime last month.
She says, “All the more reason why I am looking forward to see Archana on screen. Without many options to fulfill her dreams, Archana’s ambition is to get a government job. He has to work hard for his living as his financial condition is also not favorable.”
The actor quickly adds that this is not a didactic film by any means but a light-hearted entertainment that zooms into Archana’s life. “There is a sense of purpose about his decisions. Archana and I are alike because we both know what we need, but unlike her, I am lucky that I don’t have to think about where my next meal is going to come from,” says the actor from the medical graduate.
Aishwarya sympathizes with Archana as she humbly does not want to conform to societal expectations. “Currently, there is so much societal pressure on the youth: when to get a job, what kind of job, when to get married, when to have kids… Archana refuses to fit into that cookie cutter.”
After watching the film, Aishwarya feels that the film has achieved what she wanted to convey. He believes that the film will make the audience think about how they might react to the situation Archana finds herself in.
make her choice
Aishwarya recalls that as a child, she was told by elders that teaching or therapy was the ideal choice for a woman. “Why can’t a woman do any job she wants? Even now, many of us take a second look when we see a woman driving an autorickshaw or a bus? why should we? Everyone should be free to choose the profession he/she wants.”
Although the lockdown forced her to stay at home for almost eight months, she is happy that she got a chance to spend time with her parents, renovate her house and get herself a pet – Bruno, a Lab. met.
“After completing my schooling, I do not have that much time to be at home. Once I started working out, there was no break,” she adds.
next in malayalam Miss, Helmed by Nirmal Sahdev Ranmi fame. Said to be a mythological one with elements of fantasy and horror, the film is being shot in Idukki, Piravam, Kannur and Kasaragod in Kerala. “If Nirmal’s first film was shot in the US, it is set in the heart of Kerala,” she says.
Aishwarya feels there has been a welcome change in the Malayalam film industry and many women-centric films are being made. “I have become a bit picky and want to do films that entertain, but with a strong theme, essence and a subtle message to the audience,” she explains.
she laughs and says that kanekkane Relieved after a long break as people there were asking him if he was still in cinema. “I have films in Tamil and Telugu. And I am eagerly waiting for the release of Mani Ratnam’s magnum opus, Ponniyin Selvan IThough I can’t talk about it right now.”
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