Actress Darshana Rajendran has revealed that she faced significant criticism for playing the female lead opposite Pranav Mohanlal in the superhit film Hridayam.

In an interview with Galatta Plus alongside Anupama Parameswaran about her upcoming film ‘Paradha’, the Hridayam actress revealed that much of the discussion focused on her character’s appearance, with some even suggesting she shouldn’t have been cast as Pranav’s heroine.

“Whenever a film doesn’t turn out as people expect, negative interactions often follow in the form of hate and criticism. I read everything. People tell me not to, but it doesn’t affect me. If I’m in a bad mental space, I avoid it because I feel I wouldn’t be able to stand up for myself. But when I’m in the right space, I can laugh at it. I’m curious about what people think of the characters I play,” she recalled. 

She also noted receiving numerous “disgusting” comments that couldn’t be publicly shared.

“A lot of harsh things have been written about many of my films, but I actually find it quite funny. With the whole Hridayam discussion about beauty and the idea that I shouldn’t have been Pranav Mohanlal’s lead, I found it absolutely hilarious,” she stated.

Hridayam

Released in 2022, Hridayam is a coming-of-age romantic drama written and directed by Vineeth Sreenivasan and produced by Visakh Subramaniam under Merryland Cinemas. The film was a commercial hit. The film features Pranav Mohanlal, Kalyani Priyadarshan, and Darshana Rajendran in lead roles. The songs and background score were composed by Hesham Abdul Wahab.