Glamour and grace
SANGEETA
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After making her mark in Tamil and Telugu, Laila gets a chance to play a role of substance in `Mahasamudram.'
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The film has a theme set against the backdrop of the sea... It was a daunting experience.
Photo: K. Ananthan
FAN OF MALAYALAM FILMS: Laila says the shoot of `Mahasamudram' was an adventure for her.
She is a Goan who has acted in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films. After a hectic schedule, she was looking forward to a break when `Mahasamudram' happened. According to Laila, the film gave her a `perfect blend' of a working holiday.
"It gave me my much needed break. I was able to do a good film and also spend sometime on a beach. Malayalam films have always been like a breath of fresh air for me. I think you have the best of actors and directors here. My previous films in Malayalam (`Etha Oru Snehagadha,' `War and Love,' and `Swapnakoodu') had been a good experience. Hence, the decision to take up the role of Devi in `Mahasamudram,' which will reach theatres this Onam.
Cast opposite Mohanlal, Laila skilfully essays Devi in the film that marks Janardhanan's debut as a director.
Interesting script
"The subject was appealing and it had an interesting script. Besides, I was given a chance to work with Mohanlal. Who would want to give up such a role?" says Laila.
Recounting the adventure of shooting at Vizhinjam for the film, she says, "The film, as the name suggests, has a theme set against the backdrop of the sea. Some of the scenes in the film were shot at sea. It was a daunting experience."
Moving on to her roles in other films she says, "Luckily, I have been able to enact all sorts of characters. I try and give my best to each role I do. But I think, roles with a bit of comedy have been the successful ones."
Quite true. How can one ever forget the bubbly, impish, prankster in `Alli Thanta Vaanam' and `Pithamagan'?
"I love to make people laugh. In fact, the mood of the shoot shifts to a lighter mode when you do comedies. Feedback is important for me while doing comic scenes. And the unit members are the first ones to respond. If they laugh, I assume the comic scene has clicked."
Although each film that has she has acted in has given her precious moments to cherish, she says `Kanda Naal Muthal,' `Pithamagan' and `Ullam Ketkume' are the ones closest to her heart.
"I worked with a woman director for the first time in `Kanda Naal Muthal.' Priya, the director of the film, was a great person to work with. Eighty per cent of the crew were women, we also had a camera woman Fowzia in the second schedule. We all got along really well and the film was a success."
Critically acclaimed `Pithamagan,' Laila feels, was the most challenging of all the 41 movies she has done.
"Bala is a difficult director. He will yell at you, throw things at you, and create all sorts of situations to get you into the skin of the character. And once that is done, he is the most contented person around. Surya, Vikram and I put in a great deal of effort to enact our roles in `Pithamagan.'"
Award for `Pithamagan'
The film won Laila the State Award for the Best Actress and Vikram, the National Award for the Best Actor.
"In fact, `Pithamagan' is the only film in which I have dubbed in my own voice. The film was shot on a 200-day schedule at Theni, near Madurai. Surya and I were given adjacent rooms in the same caravan. Surya used to constantly practise his dialogues in a loud voice. And to irritate him, I used to speak my dialogues aloud too. It went on for a few days and finally I ended up dubbing in Tamil. It was great fun."
So what is next? "No run-of-the-mill roles; I will accept roles only if it is interesting. Since I am married and settled in Mumbai, I cannot take up all the offers in the South. But that does not mean that I have given up films, I am just being choosy," asserts Laila.
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