In 'Suzhal 2', the female characters' stories weren't left hanging: Actor Ashwini Nambiar
Ashwini was introduced as Rudra in Pudhu Nellu Pudhu Naathu in 1991 and ruled the roost throughout the decade before getting married and leaving for Singapore in early 2000s.;
Ashwini Nambiar, Still from Suzhal 2
CHENNAI: As soon as Ashwini Nambiar entered our premise, she was fondly addressed as Rudra by her fans from the 90s and some even recalled the famous Aathangara Marame song from Kizhakku Cheemayile.
Ashwini was introduced as Rudra in Pudhu Nellu Pudhu Naathu in 1991 and ruled the roost throughout the decade before getting married and leaving for Singapore in early 2000s.
“Suzhal came to me as a blessing, I should say. I decided to take a break until my daughter grows up and completes her education. Since last year, I have been thinking of coming back to the film industry. That is when Suzhal came to me. The main reason for me to accept Suzhal 2 was Pushkar-Gayatri. We had previously worked together in Oram Po. Also, when I listened to the role of Malathy amma, I felt it was complete. When it comes to films or series, not many female characters come full circle. But Malathy, apart from being a solid character also had some completeness to it,” says Ashwini.
Despite leaving for Singapore and having started her career as an English lecturer, Ashwini in some way kept acting close to her. “It has been over three decades and though I took a break from the industry, I did a few short films and played roles in some Singapore-based Tamil movies. I believe those were strongly written characters and having played such roles there, gave me the confidence to take up another strong role in Suzhal 2,” she remarks.
From playing demure female lead roles in the 90s to being a veteran actor on Suzhal sets, Ashwini recalls a few incidents and with a smile, she says, “Be it Kathir or Aishwarya Rajesh, they treated me with a lot of respect. Even directors Brahma and Sarjun too kept me comfortable. Coming from Bharathiraja school of cinema, caravan culture wasn’t predominant in those days. However, when I chose to stay on sets during Suzhal 2 shoot, I was asked to stay in the caravan and only be on sets when I have a scene. The entire team was sweet to work with.”
Ashwini has decided to keep herself active in the film industry. “Now, I will be staying in Chennai and will be listening to a few scripts. I will be signing when I land the right scripts,” states the actor.