Exclusive! Aishwarya Rajesh: My character in Suzhal - The Vortex is similar to my off-screen persona

Aishwarya Rajesh is one among the few Tamil actresses who surprises you with unconventional character selection and effortless performance. Having a few films in her kitty, which according to her is promising in many ways, she is now excited about Suzhal - The Vortex, the first Tamil series from Amazon Prime Video, which is set to drop online in a few hours.

Billed as a thriller, the project is riding on high expectations, thanks to some of the names involved. Aishwarya, who plays one of the leads in the series, opens up about the three-year journey with the series, her tryst with OTT projects, criteria with which she chooses films and more in this exclusive interview with OTTplay. Excerpts...

From the intriguing trailer of Suzhal - The Vortex, it appears that the project is a mystery thriller. What can we look forward to?

To begin with, it features an interesting set of actors. It was for the first time that I worked with Parthiban sir, Kathir and Sriya Reddy. It's an unusual combination and I travelled three years with the team. We began much before the COVID-19 outbreak; that was a time when many people weren't used to watching the series. 

Shooting during the pandemic with around 100 people in a few sequences was a real challenge. We underwent many tests and were shooting in a bio-bubble. I don't want to make tall claims like how actors and filmmakers regularly make, but I really think it has got a riveting screenplay. The way the story has been treated will stand out. 

What's your character like in the film? And what was the aspect which impressed you?

I play a Nandini, a stubborn girl, who has left her village long ago after an incident. She comes back only after hearing that her younger sister is missing. She lives with a guilt feeling that nothing could have happened to her sister if she was with her. Though cops investigate the missing case, Nandini tries finding her sister in her own ways. She's not fully dependent on cops. This is similar to my off-screen nature in the film industry. I came here without depending on anyone, and I continue to make decisions on my own. 

You have had a few direct-to-OTT releases like Ka Pae Ranasingam, Boomika and Thittam Irandu. But this is the only project which was made exclusively for a digital platform? How was the experience of having been associated with a series?

I don't see any difference between acting in films and series. The number of days I had allotted for both were the same. What matters is the journey of my character and overall story irrespective of the format.    

What is usually the criteria with which you sign a film?

I should be able to travel along with the story when it is narrated to me. I let my imagination fly while listening to a story, and if I feel that I get visually excited, that's when I decide to sign a project.  

Having done many notable films and characters, how much are you into planning your career now?

I have never believed in planning my career. I have no idea what tomorrow has in store for me. My plans seldom work, so I believe in spontaneous decision making. There are many actors who are good at planning careers; it just doesn't work for me.

How do you strike a balance between female-centric projects and other ones?

I don't believe in such distinctions when it comes to stories. It doesn't matter if a story is a female-centric one or not. Similarly, it doesn't matter if a female-centric story has a male lead in it or not.

A few of your movies, though initially meant as a theatrical release, ended up as OTT releases because of the pandemic. How different do you think was the reception compared to the responses you have received for theatrical releases?

It is more or less the same except for the fact that OTT releases have wider reach. The growth of digital platforms is tremendous. OTT avenues have been a big boon for many films which were stuck during the pandemic. They should be thankful for the opportunity provided by these digital platforms.