Riding high on the success of ‘Madhura Manohara Moham’, Malayalam actor Rajisha Vijayan stresses the importance of female friendships and creative collaborations in films
The Hindu
rajisha vijayan on Meera of Madhura Manohara Moham and the importance of female bonding
Rajisha Vijayan’s Meera Mohan, her character in her latest Malayalam release Madhura Manohara Moham, is the opposite of what Meera projects to her friends and family. Her character is a dark shade of grey. The actor confesses to leaning towards such characters. “Human beings are not all black and white; I want to explore such characters. Even Eli [Elizabeth, her character in her debut film Anuraga Karikkin Vellam] is not likeable in the beginning but she transforms as the film progresses,” says the Kochi-based actor over the phone from Kozhikode,where she is on a break.
Meera simultaneously dates multiple men without regret or guilt. It is to the credit of director Stephy Zavior and writers, Mahesh Gopal and Jai Vishnu, that there is no moral to be taken home when the film ends. The ending is open-ended, leaving the audience to wonder if indeed Meera has ‘mended’ her ways.
“Nobody has had issues with the character, and she been not been judged. Do we judge a male character who does the same thing [in films]? We tend to laugh it off without taking it too seriously. The same applies here.” To get into the character’s head space, she had to think like Meera because “she wouldn’t judge herself.” She is happy that the audience “got it” and did not “misunderstand” her character.
Rajisha is on a roll; this is her fifth release of the year after Lovefully Yours Veda, Pakalum Paathiravum, Amala, and Kolla. MMM is doing well at the box office, especially drawing family audiences to theatres. “The success of the film shows that content is king. MMM is a small film, be it in terms of the budget or the setting. Regardless of the scale or the clout of the actors, content rules. And this film also proves that humour brings the audience to theatres. Look at films such as Romancham, Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya He etc which did good business. Humour is not being written as before. People want to come watch films just to laugh, such family films are not being made like they were a decade or so ago,” she maintains.
The team was advised against releasing the film in June. Apprehensions, which included the rain and school reopening playing spoilsport, were misplaced. Rajisha credits 2018 for giving a new lease of life to the Malayalam film industry hit by lukewarm response to theatre releases. “2018 wrought a huge change, a welcome change — bringing Kerala back to theatres.”
The game changer for Rajisha was Ahammed Khabeer’s June (2017) despite her debut role getting her the State Award for Best Actor (female). The coming-of-age film was about a young woman June Sara Joy navigating her way through life and love. The blockbuster had her act alongside actors such as Sunny Wayne [in a cameo], Arjun Ashokan, Joju George, and Aju Varghese besides others. It opened the gates to projects that had her shouldering the film; movies such as Finals, Kho Kho, Freedom Fight [Geethu Unchained in the anthology film], and Kolla.
“Post-June, such films started coming my way but I don’t want to stress myself about it. Somebody has to shoulder a film — the hero or the heroine. Not everyone is given the privilege of doing it. That said, I want to do different types of characters and try not to be repetitive. I try to take on roles that would help me evolve as an actor. The length of the role does not matter. My role in Malayankunju was small, but it was relevant to the script.”