From the sports field to the silver screen
Amritha Aiyer’s amazing transformation
AMRITHA WAS PASSIONATE ABOUT THE SPORT SINCE HER SCHOOLDAYS. SEEING HER SKILL, THE SCHOOL COACH ENROLLED HER IN A TEAM OF SENIORS. SHE REPRESENTED THE STATE WHILE SHE WAS IN STDS. X AND XII. “IF I HADN’T BECOME AN ACTOR, I WOULD HAVE BECOME A BASKETBALL COACH,” SHE SMILES, ADDING THAT BASKETBALL IS STILL HER FIRST LOVE
The recently-released first look poster of Amritha Aiyer in Hanu Man shows her as a village belle who is bold and strong. “Meenakshi wants the right to be right in her village,” says Amritha.
She sports a traditional look in the movie, complete with nose ring and half-saris, and speaks a rustic dialect. The actress, who earlier did Telugu films like RED and 30 Rojullo Preminchadam Ela, says she underwent a makeover for her part in the Prasanth Varma directorial. A Kannadiga by birth, Amritha says she always watched a lot of Telugu and Hindi films. “Kannada is similar to Telugu, so language has never been a barrier,” she adds. Amritha has done a handful of films in Tamil and Telugu since she debuted in 2018 with Padaiveeran.
“I have wanted to become a model but I did not know where to start,” reveals the actress. After she completed her studies, she landed a corporate job, but also pursued her dream of modelling. She began making steady progress in that field. Then, a friend who was a model, referred her for a short film which called for a Tamil-speaking actress in Chennai. And later, when she got an offer for 30 Rojullo Preminchadam Ela, she quit her job to take up a career in films.
Coming from a conservative family, Amritha says she’s not allowed to stay out beyond 8 PM. “I get a hundred calls from my mother if I don’t make it home by that time,” she chuckles.
Amirtha says by nature she’s impatient, and one learning she has gained from the film industry is to become tolerant. “Initially I was edgy since I couldn’t get opportunities quickly. I was not used to the wait, as I had had a busy life. But later I realised everything takes its own course.” She says she now goes with the flow, and takes one step at a time. “But I also realised that I love what I am doing, so no complaints,” she laughs.
Amritha has also learnt people management skills in the journey. And the best part of being an actress is getting to live different characters, she feels.
Amritha was a Karnataka state Basketball player. But did basketball take a backseat after she got into films, we ask. “Whenever I catch up with my friends we play,” she reveals, but regrets that she doesn’t get time to practice regularly.
However, Amritha feels sports shaped her personality and basketball played a major role in her becoming what she is now.
“Before getting into basketball I was very shy and used to feel intimidated. But the sport made me a confident woman and I was able to express myself freely and talk to people from different walks of life. The sport opened me up,” she says, adding that she has been able to carry that confidence into films.
FROM A SPORTSPERSON TO AN ACTRESS – THAT’S QUITE A PARADIGM SHIFT. AMRITHA ADMITS
THAT THE METAMORPHOSIS WAS QUITE EVENTFUL. “I WAS A TOMBOY IN SCHOOL AND ALSO IN COLLEGE, SO THE TRANSFORMATION AS A MODEL AND SUBSEQUENTLY AS AN ACTRESS
DID TAKE SOME TIME. I KEPT TELLING MYSELF THAT I SHOULD BEHAVE LIKE A GIRL, AND NOT LIKE A BOY,” SHE SMILES.