Jayaraj's Aval, with Surabhi Lakshmi, heads to Melbourne

After Hasyam, Jayaraj is lining up his next feature, Aval (She), starring Surabhi Lakshmi as the titular protagonist. The film has been selected to premiere at the 14th edition of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2023 in its inaugural 'Indian Summer' section.

While sharing that he is glad to see a prestigious avenue like Melbourne accepting his film, Jayaraj, in a conversation with Cinema Express, sums up Aval as a tale of "someone we have all seen somewhere."

Adding that Surabhi's protagonist, Prabha, is a hearing and speech-impaired housekeeper employed at four different homes, he says, "Her life moves through these four homes -- we know her through the people residing there. She builds a small home out of their leftovers. Although she is unable to feel or hear anything, she understands everything. But it's through her silence that we comprehend everything. She resembles existing characters, someone who has seen a lot of life. Her silence can leave a lump in our throats." Aval is one of the last films in which KPAC Lalitha appeared.