Aishwarya Lekshmi awaits the theatrical release of 'Godse' on June 17. In this interview, she says that there is a twist in the Satyadev Kancharana movie. Besides saying that the vigilante actioner is gripping, Aishwarya also talks about her upcoming projects, working with Mani Ratnam, and more.
It has been three years since I became an actor. I had done auditions for a few Telugu films before 'Godse'. For some reason, either I didn't like them or they didn't like me. 'Godse' is my first Telugu film and my 15th film overall since I began doing films in 2017. I am doing five films (one in Telugu and four in other languages) at present.
'Godse' is an intense, important story that discusses a lot of relevant issues. The citizens' relationship with the government is discussed. Those who raise uncomfortable questions face a problem. Godse takes it upon himself to question the system. Producer C Kalyan garu is a big name. He is someone who understands the importance of the subject of his films. 'Godse', that way, has been produced by the right person. He has backed the content throughout.
I have played a police investigator named Vyshali. She is a tough nut. She is not a typical cop who is tall and very fit. You can be a cop with brute strength. You can also be one who works with your brain. Vyshali belongs to the latter category. I really loved the story and that's why I came on board to do the film. I loved the story because it is about a man who reacted against the system.
I started reading newspapers while doing the film. I just wanted to keep myself informed. It's because Vyshali is a responsible citizen as much as she is a responsible cop. Director Gopiganesh Pattabhi is never tense. He is always calm and gives his actors enough time. You need such kindness. You need directors who believe in you.
As an actor, I have to know the language. If not, my focus would be divided between dialogues and emotions. I got all the dialogues translated into English while doing 'Godse'. An Assistant Director helped me a lot with the lines. She used to send me voice notes, which I would be listening to always.
There is a twist in the film. You will know it when you watch the film. Satyadev is one actor I am in absolute awe of. I have seen his 'Uma Maheshwara Ugra Roopasya' and 'Jyothi Lakshmi' before. He is an honest actor whose dialogue delivery holds power. We used to discuss each other's performances on set. He is a nice human who likes to listen.
The passion for filmmaking is the same in both Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam cinema. We all love cinema. I have completed shooting for my second Telugu film 'Ammu', which is an Amazon Prime release. It's about marital violence and is a serious subject. I have been known for entertainers, but 'Ammu' and 'Godse' are different.
I am an actor who can effortlessly flip in and flip out of my characters. I am happy that way. A few sequences need my total focus. Such scenes require me to do homework. I practice the lines. If I do it with concentration, I can pull it off!
I am doing Mani Ratnam's 'Ponniyin Selvan', which is a September 30th release. Its teaser and trailer will be out in the coming months. Mani Ratnam is like a God to me. I couldn't perform on set for the first two weeks because I was too anxious and nervous. I had never been this nervous. He doesn't want to take breaks. He worked non-stop till the movie was completed!
I can do intense roles but not negative roles. I can also do action films like Vijayashanthi did.
