Wamiqa Gabbi, who made her Tamil debut last year with Maalai Nerathu Mayakkam, has found a place in the hearts of the Malayalam audience today. Her role of Aditi Singh in Godha, her Malayalam debut film, is being much appreciated and hailed as an inspirational character.
The Punjabi actress from Chandigarh spoke to Gulf News tabloid! on this new journey into Malayalam cinema. Excerpts follow:
What drew you to Godha?
“When Basil [director] narrated the story of this Punjabi girl in a Malayalam setting I was excited. It was about two cultures in one film. As an actress, I am eager to explore different characters. I have not played a wrestler before. That got me excited. Aditi is tomboyish, very much like me. It was enjoyable being myself and gave me immense satisfaction.”
Did you train for the role?
“I trained in wrestling under master Ashok Kumar from Amritsar for one and a half months. It was not easy and there were times when I was on the verge of quitting. I was apprehensive and wondered whether I would be able to do justice to Aditi. But I did continue and I am happy that I got this wonderful opportunity. Injuries were inevitable with so many moves on the sand and hard floor. Before the climax scenes were filmed I was down with conjunctivitis of the eyes and filming had to be shelved for a month.”
How was it working in the Malayalam industry?
“Basil is just two films old, yet he has great clarity on his film. Patient and focused, he never lost his cool. Basil often has this habit of breaking into a jig and singing. He kept the spirits of the team always high. Tovino is an amazing co-actor. I have two good friends now, Tovino and Basil.”
Is it true that you lifted Tovino for a scene?
“When the team was discussing on trying different moves for the action sequences, I wondered aloud: ‘How about lifting Tovino?’ And that was accepted. I lifted him up much to everyone’s bewilderment and even took him on two rounds.”
What is next?
I have a Punjabi film Nikha Zaildar 2, directed by Simerjeet Singh. It is a 1970s drama set in old Punjab. There are two heroines. I play Sawan a teacher. She is a bold woman, opinionated and believes in the importance of education.
My Tamil film, Iravaakaalam, opposite S.J. Suryah is next and I am really nervous.
