Actress Malavika Mohanan is eagerly looking forward to her film Master

Gurnaaz Kaur

Her first Tamil film Petta was with Rajinikath and in her next, again a Tamil film titled Master; she is seen opposite Thalapathy Vijay. But that’s not the only reason why Malavika Mohanan is looking forward to the film. “Master is seeing a pan-India release and since the lockdown this is the first big release that we are witnessing in the industry. Plus it is releasing in five languages.”

Comparing Master with a Salman Khan film or a movie directed by Rohit Shetty, she says,“This one is an experience like a Dabangg or a Singham; it has some really good action sequences, a strong storyline, romance, drama, fun and amazing songs.”

Good going

Having predominantly worked in Malayalam films, Malavika has also appeared in Tamil, Hindi and Kannada movies. Her debut in 2013 was with Pattam Pole (Malayalam), opposite Dulquer Salmaan. Her breakthrough film was Majid Majidi’s Beyond the Clouds (Hindi) in 2017. In Kannada, she did Naanu Mattu Varalakshmi. This transition from one language to another is a natural process for her.

“I am a complete Mumbai girl, but my parents are Malayalee so I speak Malayalam fluently and I am rooted to my culture. My parents have created a mini-Kerala at home. I’ve grown up watching a lot of Malayalam cinema and I am familiar with Tamil films.”

Happy to be where she is in life, she adds, “I would love to work with Zoya Akhtar, who I think is making some really interesting films. I also want to act with Ranbir Kapoor, who is a fantastic actor. At the same time I would love to work with Mani Ratanam, who is primarily doing Tamil films or AR Rahman, who in the recent times has been doing more work in Tamil.”

In 2021, Malavika has three big films — in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi — lined up.

Fashion & beauty tips

With 1.9-M followers on social media, Malavika is looked up for her fashion choices as much as for her take on social issues. Her style mantras are:

No compromise on comfort: I can’t imagine the time when fashion was corsets or heels. Thankfully, athleisure has become a trend so it is cool to wear sneakers or track pants.

Stick to your individuality: Don’t do something only because it is a trend. Back in the day, everybody had a different style. Sadhana was known for her haircut, Rekha for her Kanjiwaram saris and Simi Grewal for her pearls. Everyone was so different. Today, it has become an industry where we are wearing the same clothes, looking the same. I wish there was more focus on style that defines who you are.

Say no to chemicals: I am someone who sticks to a lot of my mom’s Ayurvedic home remedies. Being a Malayalee, most of our beauty solutions are from the kitchen; we do not resort to chemicals for every little problem.

Glued to OTT

The actress can’t get enough of world cinema on various digital platforms and her three most-liked series are:

• Marvelous Mrs Maisel
• Normal People
• Watchmen

Hindi version

The Hindi version of the movie has been named Vijay The Master. Twitter has even released a special emoji for the film and it has been trending since.

Master opens to packed halls

Master, starring Tamil superstars Thalapathy Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi, could well be on its way to create a record at the box-office despite opening amid the pandemic and being leaked on torrent websites hours before its release.

Fans of the two actors started crowding at theatres since early morning on Wednesday for the opening show of the film, which has released on the big screen. Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, Master also features Malavika Mohanan, Arjun Das, Andrea Jeremiah and Shanthanu Bhagyaraj in pivotal roles. The makers have also planned to release the film dubbed in Hindi on January 14 in cinemas across North India. — IANS

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