Jyotika masters the motorcycle for Magalir Mattum, a film she says her kids will be proud of

Your previous film 36 Vayadhinile was a superhit. Were you hounded by dozens of people waiting to pitch their scripts to you?

Surprisingly not. I too assumed that a lot of great women-oriented scripts would come my way, but they didn’t. Of course, I did get offers, but they were all for uninspiring roles in big hero films. Nothing substantial came my way… nothing worth staying away from family. But I’ve been getting a lot of scripts now. I think people needed those six to nine months to write more women-oriented scripts.

How do you select which films to do now? Has the process changed?

I’m not competing with anyone any more. Even money is not the criteria. My kids should be proud to see their Amma when they watch my movie. It’s very different from before; earlier, 80% of the films I took up was because I was excited about the role. But there were also the 20% I did just because it had a big star, or because it had a big banner. That will not happen any more. It’s 100% or nothing.

And Magalir Mattum fit in?

It did. It’s not a film that rests solely on my shoulders. It’s about seven women, so the responsibility is divided among us. More importantly, Magalir Mattum is a feel-good film. Usually, women-oriented films are ruled by just one emotion… pathos. This film will show that women too can have some fun.

Your tomboyish look in this is very different from earlier films. Was it your idea?

I play a documentary filmmaker and it was Bramma, the film’s director, who said I must lose weight and learn to ride a Bullet. It was all him actually. Even my mannerisms are inspired by how he behaves. It also helped that he gave us a detailed outline of our characters.

I heard it was Suriya who taught you how to ride the Bullet.

He used to take me out in the mornings for me to learn. It took only two days to learn, but my riding needed to be perfected. There’s a scene in the film where I had to ride the bike with Urvashi ma’am riding pillion that was shot in actual traffic.

Do you recommend the Bullet to other women?

Of course! I think a lot of people stay away because they think it’s very heavy and tough to handle. But once you get the hang of it, it becomes very comfortable and steady. In fact, it’s much more comfortable when compared to a scooter. I even picked up my daughter from school on the Bullet one day and she was very proud.

It’s an interesting skill to pick up for a role, isn’t it? But are these films you’d have chosen even earlier in your career?

Magalir Mattum is a script I would have done at any stage of my career. But I’m unsure of how effective my acting would have been, if I’d done it earlier. By the time an actress evolves, the industry is all ready to send them away.

Can you elaborate?

I believe a lot of acting comes from your personal experiences. A lot of my evolution as a person has contributed to my evolution as an actor. It’s perhaps the experience of being a mother, but I’m able to bring in that honesty to my performances. When I was dubbing for a scene in 36 Vayadhinile, where my character talks to her best friend, I remember being unable to hold myself back. You’re investing so much from within.

Didn’t challenging roles come to you before as well?

I’m glad I contributed in films like Chandramukhi and Pachaikili Muthucharam. Even my contemporaries, Sneha, Simran and Meera Jasmine, got to be a part of some great films. I’m not sure the actresses today are getting the same opportunity. They have a different approach. They act in four-five movies in one language and then move on to another industry. But I’m glad Nayanthara is getting such good roles.

Given that you too are getting good roles, will we be seeing a lot more of you?

So far, the films I’ve done haven’t changed the equation at home. I’m still able to get back home by 6, just as my kids come back from their after-school classes. As long as good roles come my way, within a certain comfort zone, I don’t see why not.

What do the kids say about their mother getting back to acting?

Let me put it this way. My son has stopped drawing pictures of Suriya in his Singham look. He draws pictures of me holding two guns like in my next film Naachiyaar. I guess Suriya’s not the only hero around.