“I’m an extremely emotional person. I react emotionally only when certain situations arise. If I don’t feel anything in such moments, wouldn’t that mean my heart has gone numb? My heart is very much alive. That’s why I can act even a little convincingly,” says actress Aishwarya Lekshmi as she shares her joy with mathrubhumi.com over the positive reception of her latest movie, Maaman.

There’s a line in ‘Maaman’ that goes, “No matter what happens, I won’t leave your side.” Has anyone ever said that to you in real life?

My friends. They never say such things loud, like “We’ll always be with you no matter what,” but they’re there for me, a hundred percent.

This wasn’t the Aishwarya we’ve seen so far, was it?

In Maaman, I played the role of Soori sir’s wife. The set of this film was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Maaman tells the story of a joint family. I’m not exaggerating when I say there was hardly any space to step aside. That’s really how it was.

I’m someone who values a lot of personal space. So, initially, being in such a crowded and lively set was overwhelming. There were around two hundred people all around. I had to blend in and become a part of that environment. But later, I felt blessed to have lived in that experience.

There were so many relationships on set: grandfathers, grandmothers, uncles, aunts, little ones, and neighbours. all intertwined. My character Rekha in Maaman is a cherished daughter who deeply relies on her father. In real life, I’m quite the opposite, very independent. But while playing Rekha, I started wondering if it might actually be nice to go home and just rely on my family for a few days.

We saw you struggling to hold back tears during one of Maaman’s promotional events?

Soori sir is someone with immense sincerity. You can see it in the way he speaks, especially when he’s complimenting us. At the event in Tiruppur, I became very emotional because of that sincerity.

As an actor, we always do a self-introspection. So, when someone as talented as Soori Sir compliments that you’ve performed well, it brings a great sense of peace.

And not just on stage, after every single shot, he never forgot to appreciate us. Hearing those words from him brought me so much happiness.

Aishwarya, you’re so emotional, right?

Absolutely. I’m very emotional. When Soori sir complimented me on stage, my eyes welled up. Before that, I had also heard about the struggles he went through in his life. When all of it came together in that moment, it became too emotional for me.

My friends always tease me, “You’re a leading actress; can’t you hold back those tears at least?” But I only react that way during moments that really move me. If I didn’t feel anything, wouldn’t that mean something inside me has died? But no, my heart is still very much alive. And that’s what allows me to act, even just a little better.

Swasika too played a strikingly different character in Maman, right?

Swasika is an excellent actress. She has a long emotional monologue in Maaman, with dozens of people around her. She delivered it in one take, with such intensity that we all clapped right then and there.

At a public event, director Mari Selvaraj sir said, “As long as Tamil cinema exists, Swasika will have a role in it.” Hearing those words while sitting there gave me goosebumps. It felt like someone from our own group had been recognised, and to stand by them during their success is a joy in itself.

You’ve played a variety of strong characters in Tamil cinema.

I consider it a blessing. Nothing else. No one went out of their way to find roles for me. A director has to feel that my face suits a particular character, that’s how opportunities come. For that to happen, they must like the films I have done.

In that way, Mayaanadhi really helped me. Karthik Subbaraj sir and Mani Ratnam sir both saw Mayaanadhi, and that’s how I got invited into their films. Similarly, after Ponniyin Selvan, where I played Poonkuzhali, I received many offers. After Gatta Kusthi, I got several roles as rural characters. I’d say it’s luck. Nothing more. And I hope that luck continues.

After entering cinema, when did you feel confident that "I belong here"?

I entered this field with no great interest. But today, cinema is everything to me.

However, I’ve never had a moment where I thought, “Yes, this is where I’m meant to be.” I’m scared of that kind of certainty. I always feel like I still have so much to improve. I still don’t fully understand what it takes to survive here. That question mark about my sustainability remains the same.

You once said you were afraid of public comments. Has that fear gone away?

No, that fear is still there. Cinema is an unpredictable industry. One person’s comment can ruin a career. Wouldn’t that scare anyone?

But I’ve learnt to accept that these things will happen. I’ve also learnt how to deal with it especially my job taught me this. I now know how to take only the positive from all those comments.

But, back when I didn’t have any projects, those words would have affected me a lot.