Actor Meenakshi Jayan on successful finest actress for Victoria at Shanghai Worldwide Movie Competition 2025

Actor Meenakshi Jayan says she usually dreamt about successful a world award for appearing — the thrill when her identify is introduced, embracing the folks sitting subsequent to her, and slowly strolling up the steps. Instantly, the dream turns right into a nightmare — the stage comes crashing down, stairs break, and the actor falls. “My thoughts would begin taking part in tips. I used to be by no means in a position to place myself on a giant stage. It as soon as felt like I by no means belonged there,” says the actor and winner of one of the best actress award within the Asia New Expertise class on the Shanghai Worldwide Movie Competition for her efficiency in Victoria.

“However now, I can place myself on huge levels,” says Meenakshi over WhatsApp from Shanghai. The actor performed the titular position in Victoria, directed by Sivaranjini J essaying the interior struggles of a younger beautician who plans to elope together with her Hindu boyfriend after her Catholic household finds out in regards to the relationship, whereas she is forcibly entrusted to maintain a rooster.

Meenakshi Jayan and the rooster in Victoria
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The actor embodies the struggles confronted by younger girls in opposition to the backdrop of a girls’s solely magnificence parlour, dedicating her award to “girls who had been instructed they had been an excessive amount of.” “I’m going to be an excessive amount of in the present day,” she declared throughout her acceptance speech.

Meenakshi’s entry into Victoria will be described as predestined. After responding to the casting name, she acquired a name from one of many affiliate administrators who instructed her that they had been on the lookout for a woman who speaks the Angamaly dialect. Hailing from Tripunithura, within the different facet of Kochi, Meenakshi took this as a problem and travelled to Angamaly to speak to some folks there. She spoke to butchers, cell store house owners and textile saleswomen and recorded these conversations for reference.

“As I used to be about to return to Tripunithura on a KSRTC bus, I known as the affiliate director to see whether or not she might join me with somebody who speaks the dialect and he instantly talked about the director Sivaranjini. She instructed me Siva was on the Angamaly KSRTC bus stand the place I used to be ready to board my bus. This was our first assembly. I used to be sweaty from all of the roaming I did that day and fearful whether or not that affected my probabilities. Nonetheless, after the shoot, Siva instructed me she preferred me in that look. She seen how my telephone was additionally damaged like Victoria’s, a element talked about within the screenplay,” says Meenakshi, affectionately known as Meenu.

Sivaranjini(director of Victoria), Anand Ravi (DOP) and Meenakshi Jayan
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Meenakshi factors out one other coincidence concerning her casting. “On the day of my audition, I met this chechi whereas I used to be ready for the bus. She requested me the place to discover a bus to Angamaly within the typical Angamaly dialect. Since we had been headed in the identical course, I made a decision to remain near her and converse to her till the audition. Throughout our dialog, she instructed me that she runs a magnificence parlour known as Meenu’s.

Making ready for the position

The actor labored in a magnificence parlour for a month to arrange for the position. “Beauticians at parlour, Neethu chechi and Victoria (one other workers on the magnificence parlour) taught me pedicure, henna therapy, threading, therapeutic massage and extra. Neethu chechi had me take notes. It was enjoyable.”

Sivaranjini received the concept of a rooster within the magnificence parlour when she encountered the identical at a parlour the place the rooster was an providing to a church. “The rooster, Parthan, was a enjoyable member. We didn’t have to speak something to him. We took a number of photographs of him simply reacting to one thing and added them within the closing edit. He was very cooperative,” says Meenakshi.

A nonetheless from Victoria
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After Victoria

Victoria premiered on the twenty ninth Worldwide Movie Competition of Kerala in 2024, the place it gained the FIPRESCI award for one of the best Malayalam movie by a debut director. Meenakshi was awarded one of the best efficiency on the Unbiased and Experimental Movie Competition of Kerala in 2025. The movie was additionally screened on the Cinema Home in Mumbai and the Habitat Movie Competition in Delhi.

“The primary time I boarded a flight was for Victoria’s screening in Mumbai. My first worldwide journey was for this competition. I utilized for a passport as a result of Siva instructed me to. I realised how huge the world is after Victoria,” Meenakshi says, recalling an occasion within the film the place the character says that she has not been on a aircraft. “Now Siva and our DOP Anand Ravi take a look at me when that scene comes.”

Meenakshi Jayan on the screening of Victoria on the Cinema Home in Mumbai
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For the ladies

“Lots of people may discover Victoria relatable. It seems at confusion and anxieties inside folks from a novel perspective. It’s also from the attitude of one of the great girls I’ve met,” says the actor, hoping to have a business launch for Victoria. Meenakshi can also be awaiting the OTT launch of an online sequence directed by PR Arun by which she performs a unusual character.

“I’ll perpetually wait for one more character like Victoria. All actors would crave to be a part of such character-driven movies; this contains feminine actors too. How lengthy are you able to act as somebody’s girlfriend, spouse, or mom? We would like well-written feminine characters with depth,” says Meenakshi. “And the stair shouldn’t break nor the stage come crashing down.”

Printed – June 24, 2025 05:14 pm IST