When you think of the name Aishwarya Rajesh, two words come to mind that are precisely what her Twitter bio says of her: ‘Chennai ponnu’. Literally translating to Chennai girl, this actress isn’t someone who could be described as an “overnight sensation”. It took years, meticulous intelligent films, and skills that are rare in the industry, for our Chennai ponnu to reach where she is. And since then, apart from her popularity, her effortless transition from that light-eyed girl with a warm smile to whatever character she plays on screen has only added more to her repertoire.
This actress turns 29 today and there’s never been a day when she didn’t impress. Right from her earnest performance on screen and her exuberant candor off screen, one can’t help but root for this Chennai ponnu. Acting for a few years now, here’s a look at 5 of her best performance thus far!
- Kanaa
Kanaa, a difficult role but the actor simply hits it out of the park with her riveting performance, living the role in every frame. A village girl who loves her father and wants to make him happy, and so she becomes a cricketer. The discrimination she faces and the hardship she endures forms the story, with the rest of the film heavily relying on her performance. It’s easy to play the downtrodden but Aishwarya does it without the need to pander to the crowd or overplay the emotions. There’s the rare subtlety in her performance that reinforces the idea of having more women-lead films down South.
- Vada Chennai
The bold portrayal of women in Tamil cinema oscillates between hit-and-miss; where filmmakers occasionally nail it but more often than not, stick to manic-pixie-dream-girl tropes that do nothing for the actress or her role. Her bold performance in Vada Chennai is something that could never b easily forgotten. Playing a bold North Madras girl, Aishwarya’s dialogue delivery and body language as Padma ensured she had you rapt in attention. She made the character lovable and watching her on screen was a treat.
- Sakhavu
Aishwarya Rajesh gives an impressive performance as comrade Janaki. One of the strengths of the film. It’s her Malayalam debut and she simply grabbed everyone’s attention. Aishwarya gave justice to her role.
- Dharma Durai
Aishwarya Rajesh plays a village girl who is timid and shy who falls in love with a doctor. She has a brief role but attracts us with her charming performance. As Anbu Selvi, she brings out the essence of a perfect rustic character. Experiencing heartbreak, she ends her life and this gives the movie a huge shift.
- Kaaka Mutta
Aishwarya gained fame after Kaaka Mutta in which she played a mother of two. She was natural and flawless. The movie was a huge success and it bagged her many awards and recognition. Her performance gave life to the character and portrayed the typical life of people in poverty.
