Aparna Balamurali: Being a great actor isn't just about playing serious roles

Sitting down to speak with actor Aparna Balamurali is like chatting with a girl next door. She wears her heart on her sleeve and speaks her mind regarding anything from the mundane to the celestial. Despite a tiring promotional schedule, the actor channels energy from scratch to do it all over again, for she had ticked off her ‘dream come true’ upon landing a role in Dhanush’s Raayan. “I was totally caught off guard—I had to pinch myself to believe it,” Aparna recalls of the moment she received the call. “During the promotion of Nitham Oru Vaanam, Dhanush sir and I managed to coordinate a meeting. He outlined the story and my character, and I found it incredibly compelling. With Dhanush sir leading the project, there was no way I could turn it down!”

Aparna also expresses excitement about working with stars that she once looked up to. “I have never not been a fan of Fahadh Faasil or Dhanush. While I was working with FaFa in Maheshinte Prathikaaram, I had a true fangirl moment because I was sharing the screen with him for the first time. We collaborated again in Dhoomam. Now we are more like friends who share experiences on films,” she says. Even as someone known for selecting distinct, well-written roles, Aparna says her character Meghala in Raayan is unlike anything she has done before. “She is a raw character who carries the essence of North Chennai with her. Meghala is the kind of girl who will die for a person if she likes them, but if she doesn’t, she completely detests them,” Aparna explains, noting that she holds a special place for Meghala in her heart. “She is very real and doesn’t change for anyone. I love that confidence in her and it made me fall in love with her.”

As hard as it may be to believe, a lot of preparation for any role was discouraged on the sets of Raayan. “Since I don’t know how to read Tamil, Dhanush sir gave me the script which had the sentences written in English along with the slang in which it needed to be delivered. It became easier then. He didn’t want us to over-prepare for any scene. Instead, he encouraged us to let it flow organically in the moment,” she shares. After working with several veterans, Aparna joins hands with a predominantly young cast for the upcoming action thriller. Expounding on her learnings and camaraderie with her co-stars, she says, “Be it Sathyaraj sir, Urvashi ma’am or KPAC Lalitha amma, each one of them is younger than all of us at heart. Their dedication and energy are unmatched. On the other hand, Raayan's cast is just like a bunch of naughty kids whom Dhanush sir had to take care of.” Even her off-screen experience was rewarding. “We used to go to sets and hang out even when we didn’t have shooting. This was just to see Dhanush sir direct and SJ Suryah sir act. It was an absolute joy to be there. Raayan is one of the movies that I have thoroughly enjoyed working on,” she adds.

True to her on-screen persona, Aparna's off-screen demeanour mirrors her openness and independent thinking. “My thoughts are not driven by an agenda or strategy,” she asserts. “If I genuinely feel that something is not right, I say it out loud and I don’t stand for something I don’t believe in. I am not a people pleaser either.” However, cinema imposes several expectations on an actor, especially about how they should look. Aparna opens up that it took a long time for her to accept that. “I don’t know if I have still accepted it, but I love doing cinema, so I have learned to make my peace with it. But to be honest, I have not yet accepted the condition that one needs to look different for cinema,” she says, adding that according to her, body positivity is all about being healthy. “I have lost 10-12 kgs after completing Raayan. Earlier, my health was bad and I was struggling with thyroid issues. I have gone into a good diet and worked on my health and I feel very happy. Now, even if someone says I look fat, I won’t care as I am happy and content the way I am,” she says.

Given her steadfast and bold persona in several films, one wonders if she ever feels typecast. She acknowledges the same and says, “I think that phase will always be there. While you can wait for a good role to come, you can still play such roles. Even if you are typecast, you can always find a way to do it differently.” With Raayan, Aparna is coming back to Tamil cinema after a hiatus of two years after working on a slew of Malayalam films. The actor who is aware of this, explains, “I listened to a few scripts, but it didn’t work for me. So I continued working in Malayalam films, hoping I would get the right Tamil film. I believe that if we wait patiently, good opportunities will open up. That is how Soorarai Pottru as well as Raayan came to me.”

As she continues her journey, portraying roles that resonate deeply with her, Aparna emphasises her desire to play characters that leave a lasting impression. “Recently, I was talking to Nazriya about how Ohm Shanthi Oshaana brightens up our home every time we watch it. It fills me with joy, and credit goes to Nazriya for that,” she reflects. “Characters like those are also significant. Being a great actor isn't just about playing serious roles or expressing grief well. I want women to explore diverse roles in comedy, like Urvashi and Kalpana ma'am,” she concludes with a smile.