Close on the heels of adorning Kundan jewellery, six yards of elegant sarees, and sporting a regal hair-do as Princess Kundhavai in Ponniyin Selvan, Trisha recently de-glammed it all to don a crumpled t-shirt, worn-out jeans and rolled-up shirt for her role as journalist Thaiyal Naayagi in the recently released Raangi. “Honestly, we started Raangi even before going for the shoot of Ponniyin Selvan. But, I do agree that there is a kind of pressure following up a much-loved character like Kundhavai,” says Trisha, who has reached a new career high after the super success of PS-1.
While Raangi was not the first film to feature her as the lead, it was one of her biggest solo projects, and Trisha is quick to admit that it is a bit scary to completely shoulder a film. “Unlike other films, there is no one else to take the blame,” says Trisha in a lighter vein, before adding, “Raangi is very important because it is all on me. However, one can’t think too hard about these things either. Over the years, we have seen how commerce and content don’t always go hand in hand. I think it is better to take a cue from some of the biggest stars of the industry who cut themselves off from the film after its release. That kind of disconnect is also important to move forward.”
Despite mixed responses to Raangi, there is no doubt that the M Saravanan directorial offered Trisha something new as an actor. She played a no-nonsense journalist, whose fearlessness and inquisitiveness puts her in a quagmire of international politics, and global militancy. “Raangi starts off on a rather simplistic level, but moves on to become something bigger and complex,” says Trisha, who had to perform in stunt sequences when the film moves to foreign locales. “It is important to understand that Raangi is not a superwoman film where there are elaborately choreographed stunt sequences.
We went for a more realistic approach to these scenes. It is more about Thaiyal Naayagi being pushed to a corner and just trying her best to escape. We were clear about not approaching this film as a fancy action film.”
This realism was extended to the character sketch of Thaiyal Naayagi, and Trisha shares that Saravanan was clear about how she should look in Raangi. “Saravanan sir was clear that the costumes and looks shouldn’t be too made up. You know, a journalist’s attention is on the story, and when pursuing something interesting, the focus will not be on spending hours on makeup and hair. Thaiyal Naayagi also had to be a really fearless person who has a heightened curiosity for things. In fact, Raangi is all about how this curiosity to get to the bottom of a story makes her take some not-so-smart decisions. Fearlessness can be a flaw too at times.”
Trisha shares that this fearlessness is a personal attribute too, and it is something that has kept her in the game for all these years. It is fair to say that Brand Trisha had a resurgence in 2022. She was seen everywhere, and people have lapped up her appearances on talk shows, interviews, promotions, etc... Trisha is now being speculated to star in the upcoming films of Kamal Haasan, Vijay, and Ajith. While she remains tight-lipped about her involvement in the projects, the expectations are sky high, and
Trisha says, “You will know in a few weeks if I am doing one of them, or two, or none of them. Even Vijay and Ajith haven’t openly spoken anything about these films. We will have to allow the production house to plan these announcements.”
Having recently celebrated her 20th year as an actor, Trisha is not new to the pressures of expectations. While Trisha has no qualms in admitting that her career has faced its share of slumps, she always finds a way to bounce back. “Thinking about the longevity, I do feel gifted. Whenever there is a low in my career, I find a film that helps me come back. Some directors like Gautham Menon or Mani sir give me roles that are important and memorable. At the end of the day, it is all about the audience, and their love,” says Trisha, who points out something poignant. “I am not someone who totally believes in luck, but I am not sure what else to call the trajectories of my career over the past 20 years. Just like me, there are a lot of other actors too who work hard and put in their best for every role and every film. But
my fans somehow continue to rally around and propel me forward. I often think as to whyfans love one actor more than the other. I genuinely don’t have an answer. The fans, their love, and my career have
all just been an abundant blessing.”