THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Since Friday evening, Aparna Balamurali has been flooded with calls. The young actor who won her first National Film Award for best actress for her role in Soorarai Pottru was on the sets of her new movie Ini Utharam in Pollachi when the award was announced. On the sets, she took quick breaks to answer calls and then rushed back to shots so that shooting could be wound up before sunlight faded.
Happiness was radiating in her voice as Aparna talked to TNIE over the phone. Aparna had excelled in the role of Bommi, wife of actor Suriya’s character in Soorarai Pottru.“I am too attached with Bommi. In fact, I was influenced by other characters in the movie too. If I am performing well in the films now, it is because of the training and workshops I have attended as part of ‘Soorarai Pottru’. It helped a lot in refining the actor in me. Soorarai Pottru changed my view on acting. I dedicated a whole year pursuing the character,” said Aparna.
She said the director gave her ample time to prepare for the role and she felt satisfied as she could make all efforts to portray the character convincingly. “The award doubles my happiness. I dedicate the award to the team,” she said.
She was a bit disappointed as the movie didn’t get a theatre release. The film reached the audience through an OTT platform during Covid days. “It would have been a great experience had I got the opportunity to watch the film on a theatre screen along with Suriya fans, my parents, family members and our audience,” she told TNIE.
Aparna thanked her director Sudha Kongara profusely. “Bommi came alive due to her strong support. I became an actress unexpectedly. Now, I wish to do more characters and explore acting,” she said, adding that the toughest part of the shooting was getting familiarised with the Madurai slang of Tamil her character spoke in the movie.