Raai Laxmi has been acting in films for more than a decade and dabbled with multiple languages in her career. She was recently seen in the song Majnu 2 with Mika Singh that was shot in Malta. In an exclusive interview with mid-day, Laxmi opened up about the same, the experience of shooting in Malta, working with legends like Mohanlal, Ajith Kumar, Pawan Kalyan in her career, and why her fans call the actress the ‘horror queen’.
Q- Starring in a video was very new experience for you as an actor and your fans. Do you like trying newer spaces?
Being a part of singles has now become a trend, especially good songs. It was with Mika who’s a very famous singer and has given some huge hits in Bollywood, so I said ‘why not’. I heard the song and it was a remixed version and I liked it. That’s how it all started with Majnu 2.
Q- Malta plays a central character in the song. How was it like shooting the song there?
This was my first visit to Malta, it’s a very scenic place. It’s not a very touristy place as such. The place used to look very beautiful, like a wallpaper. It’s a very nice small city and has a very different feel to it. I didn’t exactly get time to discover how the place was as I had a shoot ahead.
Q- You have worked with legends like Mohanlal, Ajith, Pawan Kalyan. What have you learned from each of these legends?
There’s always a lot to learn from these legends. People that I’ve worked with, I really look up to them and each and everyone of these has something or the other to teach. It’s a never ending process. When you work with Superstars like them, you understand the old school of thoughts. I’ve worked with Superstars, I’ve worked with the newer generation, there’s a huge difference. When I worked with Mohanlal, you don’t feel he’s acting or putting out any effort in front of the camera, he’s so easy as if he’s having a conversation. We, as a younger generation, mug up the script, think about a scene twice, we do our homework, I don’t see them doing any of these things, they are just so natural. They have had an absolutely different experience because the industry was different back then. The industry we are in is a lot easier, they didn’t have these kind of facilities. If we say anything wrong, we can change it in the dubbing. But working with these actors, I’ve learned a lot myself organically.
Q- You shared a great chemistry with Thala Ajith when you worked with him in Mankatha. Do you remember what critics and fans said about your role and your pairing with the Superstar?
Of course, I can’t forget that movie because it has been a game changer for me. I was in two minds before doing that film. It was a negative role that had come to me as a lead. Till then I had never done a negative role before, I had only done romantic films you know. I was thinking twice and the director said that I must do it and he convinced me at the end. I started loving it as I started shooting with Thala. As an actor, I began recognising him as a great person. Then we started shooting for the movie, we shot for a lot of chase sequences. Sona’s character was critically well acclaimed. Fans love my character till today, they keep requesting me when can they see Mankatha 2 with Thala Ajith. Even though I die, they still want the character to be alive in part 2. I feel Sona has become an unforgettable character. Because in that film, everyone else is also negative. Even though Ajith had a love interest, this character was highlighted so much that it cannot be forgotten. Some characters stay with you forever. I really enjoyed working on that film, no kidding.
Q My favourite film of yours is Kanchana, with Raghava Lawrence. What do you feel worked in that film?
I have literally acted in all the Kanchanas that were made in the South so I feel really close to it when people talk about Kanchana. When I did the first Kanchana, nobody wanted to touch horror films. At that point, horror genre was not in trend. When the script came to me, I said that okay let me try because it’s horror comedy. It was funny and scary so I took that risk. Ever since Kanchana has happened, people have only been making horror comedies. It started a trend. After Kanchana started, I was only getting horror films, I was known as the horror queen.
Q You have completed a decade in acting, what are the things you now look for in a script?
The thing is that I’ve done so many films. South has given me so many opportunities that I don’t feel like this is my dream role anymore. I’ve done all possible roles in South. As an actor, it’s a very beautiful space to try out different roles on screen. From being a young girl to a modern chic to being a maid to being a ghost to being a dead body to being alive to being everything. It’s a beautiful journey and I have no regrets. Some movies have really done well, some movies have made a mark and people remember those even today. So when I’m entering Bollywood, I would want to experience something similar. My work volume should be focused and prove myself as a performer.
