Indhuja plays a housewife in director Shantha Kumar’s Magamuni, and was shooting in locations around Chengalpet. “It was so beautiful; there were picturesque mountains in the distance,” says Indhuja. She didn’t expect then that things would begin to get quite complicated.
Director Santha Kumar had given the lead pair several pages of dialogues for the rehearsals. “He had explained my character to me in such detail that I had actually begun to feel that I was Viji, the housewife. So when he told me about rehearsals, I was apprehensive. I felt that if I rehearsed, an artificial layer would be added to my performance and I wouldn’t be natural in front of the camera,” says Indhuja. When she explained this to the director, he actually came round to her point of view and continued with rehearsals with hero Arya.
But on the first day of shoot, things weren’t smooth, with Indhuja encountering several hiccups. “Arya was a complete professional. I had heard he was playful but I saw a whole new side of him. He was serious and into his character, but for some strange reason, I couldn’t get fully under the skin of Viji. I felt something was missing and grew anxious, but I still felt confident I could find the missing link as our director had explained her in such detail to me.”
It was only by the second day that things began falling into place. To ensure authenticity, she requested for accessories like a nose ring. “Somehow, such additions helped me internalise her better and the vibe became more personal.”
By the third day, she was completely into her role. “Also, a strange thing happened to me. I felt a deep sense of happiness, but at the same time, I would also cry. I just couldn’t get Viji out of my head for a whole month! I became scared to take up another film. I felt a churn of emotions on the sets each day. This was my seventh film, and yet, I felt like it was my debut. It’s a shoot I will never forget. “