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EXCLUSIVE: Aishwarya Rajesh on women-centric films: If movie doesn't do well, people will say actor flopped
Aishwarya Rajesh in an exclusive chat with Pinkvilla opened up about playing a 'unique' role again in Farhana, her upcoming films and more.
Known for her powerful performance in the films like Kanaa and The Great Indian Kitchen, Aishwarya Rajesh's film Farhana hit the silver screens on May 12. Directed by Nelson Venkatesan, the film is about a married-working woman at a call center who comes from a conservative Muslim family. Ahead of the film's release, Aishwarya, in an exclusive chat with us opened up about playing a 'unique' role again, her upcoming films, and more.
"When Nelson pitched me this idea, OTT was not even in trend... It was before covid lockdown. But later Covid happened and lives were on pause hold mode. One day Nelson then called me and said let's do it as Dream Warriors is onboard and that's how it started. Farhana as such itself is unique. When I heard the idea, I was really kicked about it. It is a really different script. It was not a usual film and as a performing character also it is a very intense role. It will be a very experimental film as Farhana is that one character that I couldn't relate to my real character, it is that different," said Aishwarya who also revealed that Farhana was initially planned for an OTT release. 
What were the challenges while playing the role of Farhana?
Aishwarya Rajesh replied, "When you are doing a film with a hero, you are very relaxed because it is not hectic as a women-centric film. You have so much responsibility on you when you are doing a women-centric film and if the movie doesn't do well, people will obviously say the actor flopped. To do a female-centric film, I had so much responsibility to take care of because it had to be unique, with commercial elements and a lot of things. After Covid, we are all exposed to so many languages and everything has become so global."
Have you ever got offended by individuals who tried to typecast you for the roles you play in the films?
Not really. And now, there are a lot of scripts coming to me. But, I have to choose accordingly what will work for me. Yes, somewhere they typecast you but maybe it is in my hand to choose the right script.
You made your acting debut in 2010 and you have come a long way since then. Everyone goes through a downhill in their career. How do you deal with failure?
Everybody's journey can't be smooth, there will be ups and downs. Every day is a learning process and I have learned from everything.
Do you think women still have to go miles to get equal representation from what male actors get in the film industry?
Only if my film is doing well, that is not going to change anything. When all the female actors' and so many female-centric films will do well, it will make a difference. In Tamil, there are very few actresses like Nayanthara, Keerthy Suresh, Samantha, Sai Pallavi, and Trisha (who do women-centric films), and their films should also do well and then it will become an equal industry. I wish all the female-centric films do really well so we have balance in the equation and it won't be called a male dominant industry. It won't happen overnight but I can see the changes already. 10 years down, am very sure it is going to change and make a huge difference."
Your next, Dear with GV Prakash looks unique and appealing
It's a rom-com. It is about snoring. And what is different about the film is, here, the female has a snoring issue. It is like breaking the barriers. We don't want to stereotype like that if it is a snoring thing, it will be about a male. Why can't it be a female version? When a woman has a snoring issue and how her life changes is the story.
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