A Malayalam actress, according to a Malayali film buff, is someone with round eyes, a wholesome figure and jet black, long wavy hair. This perception went for a toss after the Dulquar Salman-starrer ‘ABCD’ hit the theatres. Aparna Gopinath, who played the bubbly Madhumitha in the movie, tweaked the fashion senses of an average Malayali with her unconventional look and cropped haircut. But it was more than just her looks that caught the attention of the Malayalam film industry, her theatre-bred acting skills won everyone’s heart, making her one of the busiest actresses in the industry in the past one year.
Aparna, who is now basking in the success of her latest hit ‘Munnariyipu,’ starring Mammootty, is completely at awe at the response received by the film. “We were expecting a lukewarm reaction initially. We knew that a certain section of the audience will like the movie and certain people won’t. We are quite surprised and happy with the reaction actually,” says Aparna.
About her bold portrayal of Anjali Arackal, a freelance journalist in the movie ‘Munnariyippu,’ she says, “It was a phenomenal experience to be part of this movie and I have to thank director Venu and scriptwriter Unni R for giving me an opportunity to work opposite Mammootty. In fact, except for me, the others who were part of the movie, were veterans of the industry. This particular character of mine was the toughest and the most challenging. With the amount of work and involvement that was put into it, this is without doubt one of the best roles I have done. I did not follow any particular journalist to learn their styles, and I had previously done a certificate course in journalism, which also helped me in this role.”
Aparna Gopinath, who has her roots in Thiruvananthapuram, was born and brought up in Chennai and finding a successful spot in the Malayalam film industry was not on her ‘to do’ list. “Honestly, I never thought I will be part of the Malayalam film industry. ‘Munnariyippu’ is my sixth film now and I never expected to work with seniors like Venu. The character Madhumitha which i donned in ‘ABCD’ will always be close to my heart, without which I would have never got noticed.”
About perfecting her Malayalam, Aparna goes on to say , “Vacations were the only time I used to come to Kerala to spend time with my grandparents and that was the only time I used to speak in Malayalam. I still remember how my grandmother used to tell me to learn Malayalam and I never paid heed to it. I am taking huge efforts to perfect my Malayalam now.
Right from ‘ABCD’ to the present, I can say that my Malayalam has improved 10 per cent.”
As far as her hairstyle and her looks are concerned, Aparna says she is going to keep it. “No one has asked me to grow my hair, although there were roles in which I had sported a wig. I am going to go along with the short hair. I like short hair!” she says with a bright smile.