Gifted with the formula for success

down south

The men who matter in Tamil cinema, the producers and directors, are by and large a superstitious lot. An actor who has given a string of flops is immediately labelled jinxed and is cast by the wayside, while another who has been a part of a hit is hailed as a lucky mascot and has plenty of offers coming his or her way. 

One actress who has reaped a windfall, thanks to this mindset, is Hansika Motwani, who has struck a purple patch ever since she debuted in Telugu with the Puri Jagannath-directed Allu Arjun starrer Desamuduru. Avid TV viewers might remember a perky little girl who lit up the frames in sundry soaps like Shaka Laka Boom Boom, Des Mein Nikla Hoga Chand and Kyun Ki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. Well, the little girl who was also a child star in the Hrithik Roshan hit Koi Mil Gaya has metamorphosed into a beautiful young actress, and has turned into a heartthrob for a legion of fans who patronise Tamil and Telugu cinema.

Unlike other actresses who are keen on becoming size-zero, Hansika stepped into the industry as her plump self, and has been compared to another Mumbai import Khushboo. After winning the ‘Best Debutant’ award for Desamuduru, Hansika worked in a few more Telugu films like Kantri and Maska, which met with good response at the box office. It was around this time that she caught the eye of Kollywood filmmakers and she made her Tamil film debut with Mappillai, where she matched steps with Dhanush, who was then an up and coming hero.

 Mappillai was just a break-even movie, but the films that followed, like Velayudham, where she was paired with Vijay, turned out to be blockbuster hits that cemented her career in Tamil cinema. Velayudham also saw this urban glamorous lass turn into a village belle and Hansika vindicated the faith reposed in her by her director to a great extent, proving to be a perfect match for Vijay. 

However, her big break came in 2011, when she was picked for the comedy film Oru Kal Oru Kannadi, where the frontline producer Udayanidhi Stalin made his debut as a hero. In tandem with Udayanidhi and the talented comedian Santhanam, Hansika put across a convincing performance that put her in line for top billing in the industry. Oru Kal Oru Kannadi turned out to be a box office grosser and fetched her a whole lot of fresh assignments. Films like Settai, which met with favourable response at the box office followed and Hansika had one of her biggest hits soon after with Theeya Velai Seiyyanum Kumaru directed by Sundar C, a rollicking comedy where she shared honours with popular actors like Siddharth and Santhanam. Hansika’s comic timing was in tune with her co-stars and her glamour had a large role to play in furthering the film’s prospects. 

Hari, who made the superhit Singham, also cast her in the film’s sequel Singham 2, a two-heroine subject with Anushka Shetty playing the parallel role along with Hansika opposite Surya. Both Theeya... and Singham 2 offered her significant scope and the actress took full advantage of the opportunity to give impressive performances. The film Engeyum Kadhal, directed by Prabhu Deva, where Hansika shared frames with the handsome ‘Jayam’ Ravi, however, nosedived at the box office.

Hansika, who counts Kandireega and the Vishnu Manchu film Denikaina Ready, an award-winning Telugu film, among her better films, has done just one Kannada film Bindaas opposite Puneet Rajkumar. Hansika has no dearth of assignments in Tamil and her next release could be the Venkat Prabhu-directed comedy thriller Biriyani, where she has been cast opposite Karthi, Surya’s brother, who is now a star in his own right. She is also busy with two films — Vaalu and Vettai Mannan, both with Silambarasan aka Simbu, the hero who, if the grapevine is to be believed, has stolen her heart. After a lot of dilly dallying, both Simbu and Hansika have confirmed the rumours that there is something cooking between them, and with Simbu’s father, the popular actor director T Rajendar having given the green signal, the lovebirds seem all set to take their relationship to the next level. Simbu, who had earlier broken up with actress Nayanthara, has probably found a kindred spirit in this lissome lass who had always steered clear of such link-ups. 

Both Tamil and Telugu filmmakers are aware of Hansika’s limitations as an actress and she has never been chosen to play heavy duty roles that require a lot of emoting, and she has rarely been required to shed copious tears like most of her contemporaries. Her glamour too is restricted as Hansika loathes steamy sequences. Despite all this, the young actress has been able to captivate audiences, especially the younger lot. Right from the days of Khushboo, Simran and Jyothika, the Tamil film industry has always ensured a red carpet welcome to stars from Mumbai, and Hansika with a growing fan following, is the latest to win favour in her short tenure.

Hansika who was cast by singer-actor Himesh Reshamiya in his Hindi venture Aap Ka Suroor, which did modest business, is in no tearing hurry to return to Bollywood where she continues to be known more as a TV star. Of course, all this could change if she were to land a plum role as Hansika too is aware of the reach of Hindi cinema. But the actress who has earned a name for her disciplined ways might not be inclined to sever her connections with South Indian cinema which has turned her into a household name.