With women often playing puppets or ‘glam dolls’, actor Anjali has been among heroines who have constantly been able to attract fleshed-out characters, right from the beginning. Be it the innocent Anandhi from Kattradhu Thamizh (2007), the hard-working Kani in Angadi Theru (2010), or the feisty Manimeghalai in Engeyum Eppodhum (2011), she has been seen as a performer and not just another heroine.
With the shelf-life of women in films thought to be limited, Anjali talks about how being a performer has helped sustain her 16-year-old journey in cinema. “It is a pleasure to have come this long. I focussed on roles that gave me the potential to perform. I think I am happy at the place I am in right now.”
Anjali has used the evolving OTT space to her advantage. After being part of the anthologies Navarasa and Paava Kadhaigal, the actor has gone on to headline two web series, Jhansi and Fall. In the latter that premiered last Friday, Anjali plays Divya.
“My character has lost her memory and is in search of multiple answers. She is silent but strong. This was not an easy character to play because you can never experience how a person with memory loss would react. Everything we know about such people is anecdotal,” the actor recalls.
Anjali picks projects based on whether they give her something new to do. While Jhansi allowed her to perform stunts, Fall offered her a role that delved into novel emotional arcs. “The role was challenging as it had few emotional peaks,” Anjali notes. Speaking further on picking characters, she talks about searching for depth.
“Characters need to have that. I should be able to understand the women I play and understand how they add to the story and drive it forward. Such detailing is required, even for a single shot. It is only impactful characters that stay with us,” says Anjali, who believes more in listening to a narration than in reading a script.
Revisiting some of her characters, she sees that they are all unlike her. “Anandhi is silent and innocent. Manimeghalai was relatable and talkative. Just because I cannot connect with a role does not mean I should let go of it. I have to pour my personality into the character. Be it Anandhi or Manimeghalai, I try to understand how I would behave if I were them,” she explains.
Interestingly, Anjali is one of those few actors in Tamil and Telugu to get chances to headline projects. Understanding the responsibility and expectations that come with it, Anjali observes, “Such projects rest on my shoulders and I’m in a state of tension until the project gets out to good reception. Many women actors are doing well-written roles and feature in stories written just for them. This is a great thing because when we feel this responsibility, we give our 100 per cent. I feel empowered when I do such roles.”
She attributes the rise of such characters to the evolution of the OTT space, which she calls a ‘writer’s medium’. Another highlight, she says, is the increase in women crew members.
She calls herself a ‘director’s actor’. “The detailing of a character is on the filmmaker; the emotions are on me. I can switch on and off between characters as needed,” Anjali says. “I used to be tense during Kattradhu Thamizh as it was a heavy role. But by the time I did Angadi Theru, I was more comfortable. I have now discovered that switch (laughs).”
In what can be seen as a microcosm of how she has shaped her career, Anjali will next be seen in director Shankar’s big-budget Ram Charan-starrer RC15, and her Peranbu director Ram’s Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai. “Every film that I do with Ram sir is a new experience. Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai will be the most different and best experience of my career,” she signs off.