"At present, I am very happy being part of some interesting projects in Tamil like ‘Marina’ and Masala Café, which are challenging enough. But initially I struggled in selecting the right script," says Oviya, who made a name for herself after 'Kalavani'.
Before films
"It was modelling that helped me gain a foothold in the industry. After my first movie, ‘Apoorva’, in Malayalam, I got to play the role of a village girl in ‘Kalavani’. I was a little scared of standing in front of the camera, as even actor Vimal (hero of the movie) and director Sargunam were new to the industry.
The 'Kalavani' experience
I was so upset when ‘Kalavani’ released as there was hardly any crowd in the theatres the first week. But later to my surprise, it slowly and steadily picked up enough to become a hit.
"Then the struggle started. I could not keep up the same momentum after 'Kalavani’ and signed up for small roles. Only later did I realise that my career trajectory was a bit flawed. I took a break from Tamil cinema and reprised my role in the Kannada remake of ‘Kalavani’.
'Marina'
"When I was waiting for the right script, ‘Marina’ from the National Award-winning ‘Pasanga’-fame director Pandiraj came as a blessing. I wanted to be more focused about my career then on and started selecting scripts with extra care.
Now I know what to look out for in a script, but there is so much to learn yet. I’m sure both ‘Marina’ and ‘Masala Café’ will earn me a better status in the Tamil movie industry and I’m grateful to all the directors for offering the roles that will be remembered forever.
'Masala Cafe'
"‘Masala Café’ is a very nice humourous subject and to work with director Sundar C and Mirchi Shiva (co-star in the movie) is so much fun. One has to have both tact and flair to survive in the industry.
Life in the film industry
"Just acting in movies is not enough. There is so much to deal with off-screen as well. The movie industry is not very easy to be in for anybody and you have to face all kinds of people. But I’ve always remained optimistic and I know why I’m here.
Future plans
"I don’t plan where I want to be 10 years from now. I look at what I have in my hands and decide what I’m going to do with it. I want to be known as an actor who can perform a variety of roles. Time may come to try my luck in any other movie industry, but until then I want to stick to Tamil cinema, as the audiences here have been both appreciative and supportive.