Sai Pallavi once avoided meeting people solely on account of her pimples. All that is past now.
Now she’s stealing the show in the biggest Malayalam film ever, Premam, — with her pimples on full show.
As Malar, the college lecturer and lead character George’s second love in Premam, Pallavi has become the darling of the masses in her debut film. There is a positive air about Malar and Pallavi’s natural performance enriched the beauty of her character.
Pallavi, a fifth-year medical student at Georgia (Eurasia), is overwhelmed with the love that has been flooding her Facebook page.
“From a nobody I seem to have become a celebrity of sorts overnight,” said Pallavi during an exclusive chat with tabloid! over the phone.
“I am dumbstruck and overwhelmed. I am indebted to Alphonse and can’t thank him enough.”
Two years ago when director Alphonse Puthren sent her a message on Facebook, Pallavi ignored it as “one of those creepy guys who stalk you.”
“I came down for my holidays and one day I heard my mother talking to someone over phone. She said it was some Alphonse asking for me,” remembered Pallavi.
“I told her to hang up immediately, it’s that FB stalker. Alphonse heard me and he suggested to mum that I check his profile and then call him up.”
Pallavi did just that, keen on proving the caller wrong, but it turned out to be an embarrassment when she learnt that it was indeed Malayalam film maker Alphonse.
“I had watched his first film, Neram, and liked it.”
Pallavi, whose first love is dance, was a finalist of Ungalil Yaar Adutha Prabhu Deva, (a dance realty show on Vijay TV) in 2008. She also appeared on Dhee, a dance show telecast on ETV Telegu. Puthren found her online and sent her a request.
Meeting Puthren and listening to his narration, Pallavi fell in love with the story. One thought nagged her, though.
“Would I be able to do justice to Malar with my pimples and not-so-feminine voice?”
Puthren allayed her fears and talked her into taking up the role. He also revealed that after meeting her he had reworked Malar’s character as she fit the role perfectly. Puthren got her to dub in her own voice, too.
Bonding with co-star Nivin Pauly helped in drawing out the intense relationship between George and Malar.
“Despite his star status, Nivin is a down to earth guy who made things easy for me. Today Alphonse and Nivin are my close buddies.”
Nail-biting moments came during the first day’s show of Premam when Pallavi sat among the audience.
“I was holding my mum’s hands and praying. Will people accept me with my pimples and hoarse voice?”
After the show, when she left the hall with Pauly and fellow actress Anupama Parameswaran, they were greeted with applause by a crowd.
“I presumed it was for Nivin and Anupama and still wondered about their response to my performance,” laughed Pallavi.
It was only on her return to Georgia when she opened her Facebook page that she understood the impact of Malar on viewers.
A native of Kotagiri, Pallavi grew up in Coimbatore and calls Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Madhuri Dixit her dance gurus.
“I am savouring this lovely phase of my life,” she said, adding that Malar dominated her life now.
