Tamil actor Hansika Motwani says a few minutes into the script narration, she decided to do 'Villain'."I was literally on the edge of the seat listening to the script. I could barely contain my curiosity. Not every day do we get such scripts. I told director B Unnikrishnan that I really wanted to do this, no matter what, "says the actor, who will make her debut in Malayalam with the Mohanlal-starrer.
Hansika tells her character is Sreya a medico but is tight-lipped about the details. "I can't divulge more since it is a suspense thriller. For now, let's just say that it is very performance-oriented," says Hansika. But, she promises Sreya will be a break from the chirpy roles she is usually associated with. Not to mention it was with Mohanlal, who she terms "a legendary actor". '"I have heard a lot about him but working with Lal sir was different experience altogether. I was so nervous initially and dazzled by the way he owns the scenes. But then, he is someone who gives everybody his space. After every shot, I would wait for his approval and he would give me a hi-five. Well, that was all I needed. I think I just got lucky with this project," says Hansika about how Mohanlal walked her through the process.
Did the language hassle her? "In fact, that was my only issue playing Sreya. I am fluent in Tamil now but I couldn't get my way around Malayalam. But, thanks to Unnikrishnan sir, I made it through with prompting," says Hansika.
Language barrier notwithstanding, Hansika says she always wanted to be a part of Malayalam movies. The fact that Mollywood is much smaller compared to Tamil, in terms of market and space, doesn't bother her. That's because she believes, Malayalam has one of the best actors in India. "It was my dream. I believe I am an entertainer and it doesn't matter whether it is Tamil, Malayalam or any other language as long as I get to do good work. From my experience, things are professional here and the industry itself is an institute for acting," she says.
Hansika doesn't mind coming back if she gets to work with good directors like Unnikrishnan. "My debut went smoothly because I was in good hands. Unnikrishnan sir was always helpful. I really had fun. Though the movie had a very serious vibe to it, I was chilled out on the sets. I would definitely want to come back," she says.