It’s a completely new experience for Neeta Pillai who is being hailed as Irene by strangers. Pillai is enjoying her newfound celebrity status as the lead actress of Poomaram.
Her character Irene, the chairperson of St. Teresa’s College, is loved by all. The icing on the cake was Malayalam director Hariharan’s letter of appreciation to the team, where the veteran has praised her acting.
Pillai states she bagged the lead role by signing up for auditions. While studying for a Master’s degree in the US, a short vacation in Kerala saw her spontaneously respond to a casting call for Poomaram.
Once on board, she attended a camp for all the newcomers.
“This was essentially a film about team work and interacting with the others we became one big family,” said Pillai.
She also spent time with students at St. Teresa’s College, Ernakulam.
“Every stage was a challenge,” she recalled. “With director [Abrid] Shine entrusting me with a key role, I wanted my scenes to be as perfect as possible. I owe it to Shine ettan [brother] for his guidance and his clarity in communication. We also worked behind the camera learning different aspects of filmmaking. How many get this opportunity? I couldn’t have asked for a better debut than this.”
