Ponniyin Selvan opened doors for me, says Aishwarya Lekshmi

CHENNAI: Actor Aishwarya Lekshmi, who played boat woman ‘Poonguzhali’ in Mani Ratnam’s period drama Ponniyin Selvan, says her performance in the film has been so loved that fans are now revisiting her past work.

The two-part historical epic, based on author Kalki Krishnamurthy’s hugely popular 1955 Tamil novels of the same name, features the actor as a fierce boat woman, who helps the central protagonists.

Ponniyin Selvan featured a bevy of stars including Vikram, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Jayam Ravi, Karthi, and Trisha Krishnan. Lekshmi had a relatively small screen time but the actor is grateful for the recognition that has come her way.

“The role of Poonguzhali gave me so much love, I was not expecting this. I’m grateful to everyone, who loved me as Poonguzhali because it has opened a lot of doors for me, not just about the opportunity, but people loving and knowing me, and then going back and seeing my other work,” Lekshmi told in an interview.

The actor, who has appeared in films like Mayaanadhi, Varathan, and Jagame Thandhiram, said she didn’t want to do too many films after Ponniyin Selvan despite the many offers.

“Contrary to what I would have expected, I was thinking I would be signing (films) right, left, and centre, but that’s not what happened. I made a conscious decision to work in films that gave me the happiness of being an actor, challenge myself, or are different from whatever I have done,” Lekshmi said.

The actor has signed three women-centric films in Tamil-language and an official announcement regarding the same will be made soon.