Two action-packed films in Jailer and Jailer 2, and Mirnaa, a self-professed fan of the action genre, only ever gets to react to all the bloodshed and death around her. The actor confesses to feeling left out when Hrithik Roshan’s all-girl gang came out guns blazing in the climax. “I was just sitting there with a tissue paper when they were jumping and shooting. I so badly wanted to join them. I've always wanted to be a part of action movies,” she says. However, the actor is also glad that Muthuvel Pandian’s daughter-in-law was not revealed to have hidden martial arts talent. “That would have been too much. I’m happy with my character’s emotional journey. I was one of the few characters in the film who had the privilege of conveying the story through emotions.”
Even though the banner and the incredible star cast were reason enough, Mirnaa was happy to be a part of Jailer 2 because beneath the explosions and bloodshed, both films were still just about Muthuvel Pandian and family being hunted down by grief and truth. She says, “Jailer 2 happens just two months after the first film. The family is picking up after the events of the original, and they are trying to get by. Even as they are struggling to deal with the loss, Muthuvel Pandian has the added weight of having killed his own son. The sequel works because it has a strong emotional core. And it only comes through when the family learns the truth. It was brilliant on Nelson’s part to maintain that father’s emotion until it explodes in that revelation scene, which justified my character’s return as well.”
In one of the most pivotal scenes in Jailer 2, Rajinikanth gets beaten up by SJ Suryah’s Bodhi, and the latter pins him down with his foot on his face. Mirnaa points out that Rajinikanth himself suggested staging the scene this way. “I knew what was going to happen in the scene, but I had no idea Rajini sir was going to get pushed down and that there would be a foot on his face. I was really shocked, and so was SJ Suryah sir. Rajini sir even encouraged him to be as aggressive as possible. That scene where he is on the floor with the foot on his face took more than ten takes.”
Mirnaa believes Jailer's success comes from a balanced mix of Rajinikanth’s enduring passion and director Nelson’s willingness to match it. “Rajini sir always wants to push beyond his comfort zone, and there are very few directors who would do something daring and match up to his willingness to push boundaries,” ponders Mirnaa, who also points out how she is awe of Nelson’s process and the intricacies of getting the 'deadpan' alive. “Nelson sir’s process is nuanced. He doesn’t want you to react; he only wants you to internalise whatever the character goes through and let it come through organically. Everything is on paper even before you set foot on the set. You don’t have to perform; you just have to feel what the character is going through at the time, and whatever comes through is enough for him.”
A discussion on director Nelson’s filmmaking style is never complete without appreciating his unique sense of humour. And of course, Mirnaa is no different, as she admits to being part of the Moorthy Anna fan club (the fan favorite character played by Namo Narayana). “I loved every scene with Moorthy and his ‘putaapu gang’,” she says. On the other hand, as much as the audience loved the comedy scenes, some backlash also came over the ineffectiveness of star cameos, especially those involving a superstar like Mohanlal. Mirnaa adds her thoughts to the discussion. “I don’t think they would have brought in a legend like Lalettan thinking they might cut his portions. I’m sure Nelson had strong reasons, and more importantly, I don’t think a star like Lalettan would even be bothered by all this. As far as he is concerned, it was just a couple of days of fun shoots with friends like Rajini sir.”
Currently shooting for Ameer’s Iraivan Miga Periyavan and a yet-to-be-titled film with Arun Vijay, Mirnaa is also part of a Telugu film titled Don Bosko. “Also, I am coming back to Malayalam cinema after a long gap. I can’t reveal much, but I will start shooting for it in December,” she says. As for whether Jailer 3 is on the cards, Mirnaa is pragmatic. She didn’t expect to be cast in Jailer 2 until she got the call, and hopes to be surprised again for the third part. Signing off by giving her input on where Jailer 3 could go from here, Mirnaa says, “I would like Jailer 3 to be more intense. I think we can go darker, with more intense action scenes."