Even before Jailer 2 was released, actor Apeksha Porwal was given a nickname, which is a Tamil spin to her surname "Porwal" (Sword in Tamil). She happily accepted it, and now, with the Rajinikanth starrer redefining the mass masala genre, the nickname is so apt. "I am in love with this nickname. I am happy that my scene in the film is justifying this nickname," she begins, as the Former Miss India Delhi winner expresses her romanticisation of a woman wielding a weapon. "I am always fascinated with this image of a woman wielding a weapon or 'Porwal' (Laughs). Being a fan of Kill Bill films, I like to explore more action roles in the future."
Differentiating between a pageant and modelling, she says she was not keen on developing a career out of her Miss India win. Instead, she shares that transitioning from serious academics to acting was the big shift. "Often people mistake pageant for modelling. It is not so. I did not view modelling as a career. Having said that, pageant too makes you look a certain way and walk a certain way. I also did theatre for two years, so I was able to come out of the pageant mould." Elaborating on her fascination for martial arts, Apeksha says she has training in combat too, which landed her the Jailer 2 role. "I devoted time to learning martial arts too. So I was preparing to get into acting. However, being an Economics Honours student, acting was the surprise switch."
She adds that she took a conscious decision to break away from the prim and proper appearance typical of a model, and that was a major step in her unlearning and turning into an actor. "I chose the series Undekhi (2020-2024), where I play a tribal girl. In the series, my hair is unkempt, and throughout I wear just one costume. I consciously chose this to effectively step into the acting career, unlike my stint in beauty pageants." Shifting focus to Jailer 2, she says fitting into the world of Nelson was the biggest task for her when she was offered this assassin role. "Once I got the offer, I watched the first part and understood Nelson's filmmaking style. Also, the brief Nelson gave me was helpful. I was told that my character needed to be relaxed and treat the assassination assignment as just another day at the office. That added to the character's style and coolness. I simply surrendered to Nelson's vision. I am director's actor."
Apeksha cannot stop being in awe of Rajinikanth's simplicity, and his aura spread happiness and peace on the sets of Jailer 2. "Rajini sir's aura cannot be faked. I haven't seen another human like him. In fact, I wouldn't club him among other humans. He is something else. He is a myth, a legend." She also shares that her Tamil debut was made even more special with the cordiality she received from Rajinikanth and other seniors. "Rajini sir always carries a smile and greets everyone equally. His humility and aura emanated some inexplicable peace, joy, and positivity on sets. Observing the kind of actor and human he is was my biggest takeaway. That totally explains how he remains on top of the game for five decades. Superstar is a very small word to describe him."
She further elaborates that she pinched herself to be sharing a space with multiple stars. She adds that she wasn't intimidated by their presence and was kind and helpful to her. "Mithun sir, as you know, is a mass action star. During a shot, he advised me to hold the sword and swing it in a certain manner to look stylish and ooze swag. I am a fan of Ramya (Krishnan) mam for her performance in Baahubali. They were all very kind to me." It is natural for an actor wanting to be seen more. While sharing space with stars can be exciting, it can also make an actor concerned about how much attention their role will get. Apeksha, however, had no such worries. "While shooting I was aware that I was performing an all important stunt sequence in the climax. So I did not worry about how much of a presence would be retained. That being said, Jailer 2 is a long movie, so it is the director's call on how much to leave out and retain. I just focused on my job and put my best foot forward."
She believes in putting her best foot forward irrespective of the project's scale. "This is not just in films. Even in an interview like this, I make sure I completely present myself for the occasion. My mantra in acting is being present between action and cut. That and hard work. Because I don't have a godfather in the industry and have no connections, working hard and being present are the only ways to succeed."
On cloud nine seeing the overwhelming positive response for the film and her performance, Apeksha says she is grateful for the opportunity. "I take this moment to express gratitude for all the love coming my way and the Jailer 2 makers for this opportunity. I watched the film and the response was tremendous. I want to visit Chennai to relive this experience," she conveys her desire, and concludes by saying she is a part of two films in which she plays the lead.