After fighting for the innocents in Jana Gana Mana and Maharaja, actor Mamta Mohandas is back to fight again. But this time, she is fighting for herself. And against whom is she fighting? A male-chauvinistic society. "Being treated as a lesser human and a lesser gender begins right when you are born a woman. Prabhu's (Jayaraman – director) My Dear Sister has me playing Nirmala Devi in Tirunelveli. The film's messaging against gender parity begins with my characterisation. I drive a tipper lorry in the movie, a profession that is a rarity among women. Like every woman who wants to accomplish something in life, Nirmala Devi kicks off her fight against the lopsided society from home," says a pensive Mamta.

Elaborating on her character, Mamta says Nirmala cannot be slotted under the man-hating brand of feminism that certain movies claim to be 'real feminism'. "In fact, I would say Nirmala is a true feminist. She fights for her place in society, she understands the importance of family, and she navigates through the bigoted society even as she finds contradictions at every step, including at her own door, thanks to her younger brother, Pachai Krishnan (Arulnithi)," points out Mamta. Building upon what attracted her towards My Dear Sister, Mamta adds that the depth and nuance in Arulnithi's character aided her decision. "Though Pachai tends to look down on women, it comes from a place of needing validation from a chauvinistic village. He has delivered a solid performance."

Mamta, usually known for her urban roles, is stepping into the rural space for the first time in Tamil cinema. However, she exudes confidence that My Dear Sister will be relevant across the rural-urban divide. "Filmmakers don't usually see me as a villager. Rajamouli sir saw Yamadonga's Dhanalakshmi in me years ago. When I dubbed for that role, Dhanalakshmi struck me as a stranger. After that, I felt the same about Nirmala," says Mamta, who ensured she did extensive rehearsals and intense makeovers to slip into the role of Nirmala Devi. "I needed to spend 2.5 hours to dull my tone. Also, I had to complete the scenes before the heat and sweat ruined the makeover. Also, I am particular that I dub for myself, and except for a couple of films, I have dubbed for all my roles. It is also because I believe that every voice has a face and that it gives a sense of completion to a performance. The Tirunelveli diction in this movie was challenging to perfect, and that made me want to do it even more," says Mamta, who believes half-hearted efforts have a way of being magnified.

If the preparation to look the part was a challenge, internalising the character was a different ball game. "I prefer the term 'Reimagination.' I reimagine and do not reinvent. I tend to sit silent with my character and meditate with it to find out what her reaction would be to a particular incident, and that is how I prepare and emote," remarks Mamta, as she adds that the question of reinvention would only arise when taking up conventional roles. "There is a difference between playing a cop in a commercial masala film and in an investigative thriller. Thankfully, I haven't done too many one-dimensional characters to trouble myself with reinventing. And all credit to Prabhu for giving me a role like Nirmala, which is something I haven't done before."

Heaping praise on her director, Mamta says that his films will reflect his unique voice. "Prabhu had almost 10 different pitches and angles to this story. The script went for over 300 pages, and it was fine-tuned and condensed to 150 pages," she says, accentuating the potential in Prabhu and the depth in his vision. "There were numerous possibilities that could have branched out from Prabhu's core story. My Dear Sister is a result of just focusing on one of the many such possibilities. The film has the potential to generate sequels," says Mamta, who isn't new to audiences waiting for sequels for her films. "Since Jana Gana Mana's director is no more, I am not sure if and when a sequel would take off. I guess a prequel to the film would be a more relevant follow-up. All those involved in the film want a second part. As far as Maharaja is concerned, it will definitely get a sequel before Jana Gana Mana," says a confident Mamta.

Calling cinema a collaborative medium, Mamta points out that Sudhan, whose Passion Studios banner is backing My Dear Sister, gave space to Prabhu for channelising his multiple ideas. "If Prabhu had 10 ideas, Sudhan had it in him to pick five good ones and further filter them to arrive where we have arrived now. The two are each other's foil and made pertinent value additions to the film."

Understanding the importance of promoting a film in the right way and making the audience aware of the kind of film they are coming to watch, Mamta is cautious not to give any wrong signal about My Dear Sister. "Honestly, the film isn't going to discuss something new or unusual. It is about the struggle between a sister and her chauvinistic younger brother, whose fight reflects their deep affection towards each other, and what would happen when that affection is lacking. What is novel about the film is its milieu and the fact that this kind of narrative is platformed through the story of siblings. That discussion will be fresh," says Mamta, adding that she had a rather positive feeling after watching My Dear Sister, and it was a similar feeling to what she had after watching Maharaja. "In my two-decade-long career, I have learnt to trust my gut feeling. I fought tears watching the climax of My Dear Sister, just like I did for Maharaja. That reassured me that I am a part of a good project. My Dear Sister has its share of family drama, humour, and a relevant message," she signs off.