Amala Paul is overwhelmed by the success of her recent Malayalam film, 'Run Baby Run', which starred Mohanlal as the hero. “I grew up watching Mohanlal sir’s films,” she says. “It was an honour for me to work with him. I am grateful to the audience for whole-heartedly accepting this film and my character of (television journalist) Renuka. It is a milestone of my career.”
Amala got into the film industry by accident. She did a photoshoot for a magazine cover through a friend. Thereafter, she got more offers to do photoshoots. Soon, she became a model but was always keen to get into films.
“I had always been attracted to the glamour-filled cinema world,” she says. “It is a place where one can gain exposure, opportunities, and recognition. My parents were not very happy about this. But at the same time, they had faith and confidence in me. They gave me the freedom to pursue my dreams.”
Well-known Malayalam director Lal Jose, after seeing her modelling portfolio, gave her a supporting role in his film, 'Neelathamara' in 2009. Despite the film being a success, Amala was not noticed. Next year, she acted in 'Veerasekaran' (Tamil). Then she got a chance to work in director’s Samy’s 'Sindhu Samaveli', in which Amala plays Sundari, who has a relationship with her father-in-law. The film was panned but Amala was praised for her acting. But it was with her next Tamil film, 'Mynaa', a romantic drama, that Amala made an impact. She was quickly dubbed the ‘new star’. Thereafter, she signed for several top-notch roles, including Ram Gopal Varma’s Telugu film, 'Bejawada', which, unfortunately, was a box-office flop.
Her current projects in Telugu includes V V Vinayak’s 'Naayak', opposite Ram Charan, and another with Allu Arjun for 'Iddarammayilatho'. In Tamil, she is doing the bilingual 'Nimirndhu Nil'.
She has also acted in 'Aakashatinthe Niram', an off-beat Malayalam film, directed by Biju, in which she stars opposite Indrajith. “I was happy to get this role,” says Amala. “It is not just any art house film. In fact, it is entertaining and has a beautiful message. The shooting in the Andaman Islands comprised the best days of my life. I got a chance to unwind, away from mobile phones, computers, and other electronic gadgets. Also, it was a great learning experience to work with the legendary actor, Nedumudi sir.”
Amala places conviction and commitment at the top of her list before choosing a role. She also studies the character that she is going to play. Then she looks at the script and the director before agreeing to take a role.
Amala is one of the rare actresses who works in all three industries: Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu. She says that the three states differ from each other in terms of the people, culture, and taste in films.
“The Malayali audience is simple and has a realistic approach towards films,” she says. “They would like to relate with the reel characters. But nowadays, there is a change, as youth-oriented films are gaining in popularity.”
In Telugu films, however, they do not want too much of realism. “For them, films mean fantasy, glamour and illusion,” she says. Meanwhile, in the Tamil industry, the approach is between realism and fantasy. “But they also like unconventional movies,” she says.
Her ultimate aim is to do justice to the roles she plays. “It is a wonderful feeling to inhabit a character fully,” says Amala. “For me, it is an accomplishment if I can gain the confidence of my director.”
And she is steadily developing a fan following. “Thanks to their love and respect, I am able to move forward,” she says. “My well-wishers’ happiness is my ultimate aim.”