Mukundan Unni Associates actor Aarsha Baiju: I wish my role gets a stand-alone film

Vineeth Sreenivasan-starrer Mukundan Unni Associates (MUA) is turning out to be a sleeper hit powered by the positive word of mouth that's spreading like wildfire. Directed by debutant Abhinav Sunder Nayak, MUA is an unapologetic dark comedy that paints almost all its characters in shades of grey—sometimes in black and sometimes in 'jet black.' Vineeth Sreenivasan's Mukundan Unni is a narcissistic sociopath, who finds a perfect foil in Aarsha Chandini Baiju's Meenakshi. It is rare for mainstream female actors to get roles that shatter stereotypes, and Aarsha lapped up the opportunity with both hands.

Even though this conversation was over the phone, Aarsha's vivid excitement about the response is palpable. However, Aarsha says that she wasn't very confident when she signed the project. "When I first read the script, I knew it would make a good film. But I was still skeptical if it would offend a section of the audience. The film that you see now is not how it was initially." It's generally said that a film is made on the edit table, and Aarsha witnessed it when she went for the dubbing of MUA. "I couldn't believe how Abhinav ettan had changed the whole mood of the film. When we shot, it was a serious, dark film, but he amped up the humour during the post-production by including a quirky voiceover, which people are now raving about."

It was a huge surprise for Aarsha considering how Abhinav was very particular with what he wanted during the shoot. "Before joining the sets, I was asked to be completely thorough with the script. Though Abhinav ettan was open to improvisations regarding the performance, he was very particular about the dialogues. To see, the translation from script to shoot to screen is just astounding."

Aarsha's Meenakshi is introduced in the film as a warm, friendly receptionist working in a private hospital. She might look like a typical Sathyan Anthikad-heroine carrying a burden of responsibilities, but wait... this is not a world of nanma marams. Meenakshi is sly, spunky, and real. "After getting through the auditions, when this character was offered to me, I was thrilled to bits. It's not always that such roles come your way, that too at such an early stage in my career."

Though Aarsha made her debut in 2019 with Pathinettam Padi, she shot to fame with the web series, Average Ambili. Aarsha reveals it was her performance in the Karikku-backed show that got her the role in MUA. There's another 'eye-catching' reason. "Out of curiosity, I once asked Abhinav ettan why he chose me. He said, my eyes had a certain innocence. I guess he was looking for contrast. He wanted someone who looked gentle and cordial but is cruelly selfish." This is probably why Mukundan Unni gifted her a pair of dark shades to conceal whatever innocence that's remaining.

The actor, who is also simultaneously doing her MA in English Literature, has a couple of other promising projects coming up. "I'm currently working on costume designer Stephy Zaviour's directorial debut. It's a fun entertainer, which also has Sharafudheen and Rajisha. I had also done Qurbaani with Shane Nigam, but it's getting delayed for some reason. Then there's my Tamil debut with Kishore Kumar sir. It's an OTT film, which, again, I got through Average Ambili."

When asked if she was concerned about mouthing cuss words during the hilarious climax conversation with Tanvi Ram, Aarsha says, "No! In fact, that was one of the most exciting things that pulled me to do this film. That dialogue encapsulates the film's entire theme. My only concern was if it would get censored, but I guess it was given special consideration upon our request. As expected, the response in theatres for that scene was extraordinary. People wouldn't have expected Meenakshi to put it so bluntly."

Aarsha is so fascinated by Meenakshi that she wishes the character gets a standalone film someday. "I've already expressed my interest to Abhinav ettan. Because it's that interesting a role. After seeing what Mukundan Unni is capable of, you might think he'll eliminate her as well. But I think she is equally efficient. She also chose to be with him for selfish reasons, so it won't be that easy to get rid of her," laughs Aarsha.