'Vijay Sethupathi sir was impressed with my work in Maya: Unleashed'

Have you ever wondered how our industry has hardly any women-centric action films? Maya S Krishnan, whose recent action short Maya: Unleashed became an instant hit, says it was one of the reasons that pushed her to do the short. “I’ve always wanted to do a complete action film. Some of the works I have seen lacked in choreography or the way in which it was shot. This made me want to do something exceptionally well in this genre.”

In Maya: Unleashed, touted as India’s first female action short, the actor is seen fiercely fighting three men, who attempt to harass her in an isolated place. “Our short has a message as well, but we have told it through action,” she notes.

The short has earned her appreciation from the audience as well as film industry biggies. Three years ago, Maya also worked with Gautham Vasudev Menon in Vikram-starrer Dhruva Natchathiram. Reacting to the filmmaker’s positive response to the short, Maya says, “Gautham sir saying that it was he who first identified my talent felt like winning an Oscar to me. A few days ago, Vijay Sethupathi sir also called me and shared that he was very impressed with my work. It was one of my biggest compliments. It’s all still unbelievable.”

Elaborating on the process that went behind making the short, she explains, “We shot it in Paris in March, because my stunt choreographer Yannick Ben and the rest of the crew were there. I got introduced to him on the sets of Dhruva Natchathiram. We shot it as a pilot to approach producers with an idea for a feature film. But then, the lockdown happened, and we decided to release it online. The response has been tremendous.”

She contends that performing action is no mean task and she had to undergo two weeks of intense training for the less-than-four-minute short. “You will not believe the number of injuries that happened during the shoot. It takes a toll on your body and it could get relatively more challenging for women. But it's all worth the effort.”

Up next, an action-packed film featuring Maya is also in the pipeline. “There’s a film that’s definitely happening soon. More details will be officially announced once things get finalised,” she says. Considering there’s a lot of untapped potential in female-centric action films, Maya shares, “I’m a huge fan of Jackie Chan. His action has both comedy and stunts, which is also light to watch. That is a genre I’m hoping to explore someday.”

Reminiscing her memories on the sets of her long-delayed film Dhruva Natchathiram, which is likely to hit the screens post lockdown, she recalls, “GVM sir is like a mentor to me. Working with him is always light and fun. Everyone on the set is respected, and nobody gets yelled at. Back then, I would look forward to going to shoot every day. The delay hasn’t deterred the team. We are all still in touch and hoping to see the film along with the audience soon.”

Maya: Unleashed is now streaming on YouTube