Model-turned-actor Ishaara Nair is a happy girl these days. The five-film-old actor says she wants to do more films like Sathuranga Vettai, her recent release. “I am here to act. I want to do performance-oriented roles and yes, I am choosy,” says Ishaara.
Strangely, the Malayali actor hasn’t done any films here in Mollywood. “I wasn’t getting significant roles here, but there it is not so,” she says.
Ishaara is happy to be part of the Tamil film industry. “Tamil is my second mother tongue. It’s as good as my English and Malayalam,” says Ishaara. “I am cut out to play girl next door roles but glamour is okay, if it’s within my comfort level,” she adds.
Ishaara plays a rural housewife in ‘Sathuranga Vettai’. “I decided to do the movie because I found the character irresistible. It was one of the toughest roles I’ve done so far. It was pretty challenging. I had to practise the village accent to get my dialogues and dialect right. In fact, I dubbed in my own voice,” says Ishaara.
Not many know that Ishaara was initially uncomfortable crying in front of camera. “I am quite image-conscious,” she says with chuckle. “Now, it’s all gone. I used to think that my face looks ugly when I cry. Now, I have shed those inhibitions,” she says.
About her role in Sathuranga Vettai, she says, “I had to enact a delivery scene in the second half, which naturally required me to cry out of pain.”
The Venmegam girl says that she can play modern characters with equal ease. “In Adhi Maedhavigal, (a yet-to-be-released movie directed by Ranjith Manikandan) I play a college goer. VJ Suresh is the male lead. The story is about two engineering students. Today’s youth can connect to the film easily. It has an equal dose of comedy and romance,” says Ishaara.
Ishaara is quite excited about Papparapam, where she dons an 80s getup. “I can’t reveal much about the role. But the story is about the bond that a mother and son shares,” says Ishaara.
Yet another project in her kitty is Okasari, her Telugu debut, which is set to release next month. “I don’t want to come, dance for a song and go. The films I am signing now should be a launch pad for my career. So, I prefer taking it slow and steady,” she says.
Any dream role? “I never took a break. I just hopped from one project to the next. Every weekend, there are a couple of movies that release. I want to be remembered for roles that people will sit up and take notice. I love to explore and experiment with a variety of roles,” says Ishaara.
Ask her whom she would love to work with? “Karthi, Vijay, Suriya and Ajith,” pat comes the answer with one of her easy smiles lighting up her expressive face.