BENGALURU: Ever wondered about dinner table conversations of a family which has deep roots in the movie industry? Malayalam actor Poornima Indrajith, who is married to industry superstar Indrajith, says it’s far from movies and instead, mostly everyday conversations. The actor, who was in the city for a few hours to attend an event, has her hands full these days. After rave reviews for her performance in Cobalt Blue, a Hindi drama on Netflix, she is gearing up for her upcoming release Thuramukham, starring big names from the Malayalam industry like Nivin Pauly and Indrajith Sukumaran to name a few, which will be released on June 3.
Giving the low-down on Thuramukham, she says the movie is a period-action-drama which transitions between two different periods. “My character Umma is shown in her early 30s and late 50s. It is a very performance-oriented movie because the story is part of history that real people have lived through,” explains Poornima.
The actor made a comeback to the big screen after 18 years with Virus, in 2018, which was based on the outbreak of the Nipah virus. The film starred actors like Tovino Thomas, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Revathi to name a few. Poornima agrees that the characters she picks are quite different from her personality in real life. “When people say that, I take it as a big compliment,” says the actor. However, living those characters takes a toll on her. “I would be lying if I say it does not affect me.
One trait an artiste should have is to know how and when to cut off from a character. The toll is more on my family than on me. For example, playing Umma in Thuramukham started affecting me. Because she had gone through a lot and sometimes her tone would show up in my personal conversations. My daughters pointed that out to me,” laughs Poornima.
Coming from the famous Sukumaran family, which has artistes like Sukumaran, Prithviraj Sukumaran, and her husband too, Poornima says there is always the pressure of expectations. “People are more receptive to new-comers, but with me or anyone with a background like mine, there’s the weight of expectations,” says Poornima, adding that one of ways of dealing with the pressure is letting go of things that are not in one’s control. With multiple achievements to her credit, Poornima has always been spoken about her style too.
“I started a label of my own so I’d have clothes of my style. To me, style is something that you carry with confidence. It does not matter if it is in trend or not. Your clothes should speak for yourself,” says Poornima.