Meenakshi Jayan is an actor who began her career through short films before landing her much-appreciated debut lead role in Victoria. The film, which has been well-received at several film festivals, is now gearing up for a commercial release soon.
Meenakshi caught the attention of many at the 2024 IFFK, where ‘Victoria’ director Sivaranjini J won the international critics federation award for the best Malayalam film by a debutant filmmaker.
In the film, Meenakshi plays the title character, a young beautician who elopes with her Hindu boyfriend against the wishes of her Catholic parents. The portrayal earned her the ‘Best Performer’ award this year at the Independent and Experimental Film Festival Kerala (IEFFK).
Could you tell us about your journey into cinema?
I started off as a dubbing artist. Back in college, I dubbed for the character Dia in the film Aanandam. We, the crew of the film, watched it together in a theatre. Listening to my voice in 7.1 Dolby Atmos felt incredible. That made me wonder how powerful it would be to see my face on the screen. That was the trigger. I started auditioning for roles after college. I also worked as an assistant director in the meantime.
You play a beautician from Angamaly in Victoria. How did you prepare — especially the job techniques and dialect part — for the role?
It was an immersive experience. The director, Sivaranjini J, frequented an Angamaly-based beauty parlour, which actually inspired the story. She connected me to that parlour. I became one of the employees — would eat lunch with the staff, help them clean the place after work. There was a staffer named Victoria there, although the fictional character is completely different. She and another employee, Neetu Shabu, taught me threading, waxing, manicure, pedicure, etc.
I was on the job for two months. It was challenging to grasp the subtleties — like holding the thread between my teeth or moving my fingers in a particular way. I carried a thread with me everywhere to practise the hand movements.
There was also a dialect coach, Anu K Antony, to help me with the Angamaly accent, which has a unique rhythm. As someone from Tripunithura, I initially struggled with it. I used to stay with Sivaranjini during the shoot, and that helped me immensely.
Victoria is unique in many ways — it features an all-women cast (except for a rooster), and its cinematic language includes long takes. What was it like working in such an experimental setup?
I have a theatre background, so I considered long takes to be a blessing. But in a film, if someone makes a mistake, the entire scene must be reshot. Sivaranjini and the cinematographer, Anand Ravi, would rehearse scenes many times. Anand once described Sivaranjini’s cinematic style as a dance between the actor and the camera. I had to walk in sync with the handheld camera throughout, which made the long takes especially challenging for the crew.
Yes, the cast was entirely women. Sreeshma Chandran played Laya, Victoria’s best friend. Actor Jolly Chirayath had a pivotal role and supported us greatly, as this was the first film for most of us.
I must say, the rooster was calm and professional… he was well-trained by Shaji Balaramapuram. In one scene, Sivaranjini wanted him to flutter — he did so perfectly when tickled. He was always on cue and probably the only actor who never made any mistakes!
You recently won the Best Performer award at IEFFK. What does the recognition mean to you?
Standing on stage with the award, I thought of the women who travelled the path before me, starting with P K Rosy. Women in cinema came to focus after the assault of an actress. The Women in Cinema Project was born after members of the WCC and others met the chief minister to urge systemic support for women in the film industry.
As part of this initiative, KSFDC annually selects a script to fund with a grant of up to Rs 1.45 crore. Victoria was one such project. So, in a way, the film was born because one woman stood up for justice. I was able to shine because a group of women came together. I felt grateful to be a woman for the first time. Watching Victoria on screen, I felt glamorous and sexy — like I was the most beautiful woman on Earth.
Looking ahead, what kinds of roles are you drawn to?
I want to be unpredictable. Actors like Asif Ali constantly break their typecasting, and I admire that. A new ad of mine just came out, and I play a zombie in it! I would love to do more humorous roles that make people laugh for a few hours, considering how depression and anxiety are so common these days. I am part of an upcoming series on SonyLIV, directed by P R Arun, based on beauty pageants. It’s fun, goofy, and unlike anything else in Kerala.