With Sandalwood opening its doors to actresses from neighbouring film industries, a good number of aspirants are eyeing their chances here. Akshara Menon (earlier Aishwarya), a Malayalee actress, is the latest in the category. She will debut in Dasavala which will directed by M S Ramesh. She has been cast opposite Prem, of Jogi fame.
Akshara has two Tamil films to her credit already. “Though I am from Kerala, I was born and brought up in Chen-nai. Since my childhood, I have been watching Tamil films. That’s the reason why I was determined to start my career in Kollywood,” she says.
Akshara is currently part of a Tamil film, Theeya Velai Seiyyanum Kumaru (TVSK) whose Telugu version is called Something Something. The multi-starrer includes Siddarth, Hansika Motwani and Ganesh Venkataraman. TVSK is complete and set to release by the end of May. “My next Tamil film is Apple Penne, which is based on a mother and daughter relationship,” says Akshara.
Talking about her Kannada debut, Akshara reveals her reason for choosing Dasavala. “It is an amazing script and there is a lot of scope for me to perform. I will be playing a mentally challenged person. Also, I have heard much about Prem’s abilities as a natural actor. As for director M S Ramesh, he has proved his credentials with a number of hits. It will definitely be an interesting experience for me and a treat to work in this film,” she says.
A trained classical dancer, the 21-year-old beauty was always keen to get onto the big screen. Says Akshara, “I recently completed my engineering course because I wanted to have a college degree to my credit, but it was acting that has always kept me on my toes. I fulfilled my parents’ wish by completing my education and so they have allowed me to take up my passion,” she says.
Though offers have been pouring in from various industries, the actress wants to first gauge the response to her films in Tamil before deciding on her next move.
As a newbie, Akshara is definitely not leaving any stone unturned to fit into her role in Dasavala. “My schedule starts from May 22 onwards for which I will head to Badami.
"Right now I am busy watching films like Revathi’s Killukam and Kamal Haasan and Sridevi’s Moondram Piria. Such films will definitely help me prepare. Apart from this, I am also browsing through films directed by M S Ramesh to get into the groove of how he narrates his films,” she says.