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2000-2006 123kerala.com
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| Dancing to different tunes
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For Lakshmi Gopalaswamy, winning a Kerala state award for the film Thaniye, has resulted in a change in outlook. The Bharatanatyam dancer and actor, who was a self-confessed traditionalist, is now ready to try varied roles and even shed her image of being a dancer if need be.
Much of this she attributes to being treated with a lot of respect in the Malayalam film industry. “It’s been a spiritual experience. I came in with a lot of baggage. I prided myself on being a dancer and was afraid to let go of the image that I had formed of myself. I realise it was an ego trip,” she says.
Lakshmi has had as her co-stars top actors such as Mammooty, Mohanlal and Sursh Gopi. She has worked for big banners and is today a household name in Kerala. She has done 14 films in half that many years and has got recognition as a sensitive artiste, and the best actress award of the Kerala Film Critics Association for her portrayals in Paradesi and Thaniye.
The talented lady has not confined herself to the big screen. She has bagged the Mylapore Academy award for best actress in a negative role for her television serial Lakshmi.
The actress’ confidence has got a boost with the recent screening of her films at prestigious events such as the Khalagoda festival, Mumbai, Kerala International Film Festival, the India International Film Festival in Goa, the Hyderabad festival, International Women’s Film Festival, Chennai, and the Belgian, Italian, Berlin, Cairo and Amsterdam festivals.
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“I had always thought that you cannot have a good life if you are an actress. I had a phobia about it. I thought I would confine myself to acting in a few Malayalam films, and have rejected many film offers earlier. I don’t think I have had much of a film career in terms of the number of films or years. However, the audience and critics have acknowledged me as a sensitive actor and this has made me introspect. Cinema has given me identity, a sense of belonging to the artistes’ fraternity. I have discovered myself and this has opened up vistas,” she says.
The actress is now focusing on dance. She is winding up the eponymous serial in Tamil and the shooting of her Hindi film, Dhruv, will also be complete in a couple of weeks. It will then be back to rigorous dance practice to “gather myself, get a little more creative as a soloist, and use my film experience to better my abhinaya.”
Her singular dream as a dancer is to meet Leela Samson, who heads Kalakshetra, Chennai, and “learn at least one item, even if it is an alarippu”, from her. “Ultimately, I want my dance to become visual music,” she says.
Some Kannada film offers have come her way, but Lakshmi, who has acted in the Kannada films Purvaapara and Vishnu Sena, is yet to decide about them.
A little-known aspect of Lakshmi is that she is a trained Carnatic vocalist. However, singing took a backseat in the pursuit of a film career and glamorous dance recitals in international fora. Lakshmi aspires to cut her own album, a “classy pop album” for which she will start honing her musical skills again.
It seems to be a
case of the sweet sound of music combined with the steps to
match.
Source:
NewIndPress.com
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