GRACEFUL GAYATHRI JAYARAM

(Source : Woman�s Era, December (First), 2002)

Mumbai-based actress Gayathri Jayaram rivets her focus on a full-time acting career, though she has been a physiotherapist before she entered films. She informs us what augurs well for her.

Since the advent of the new millenium, a batallion of new and fresh talent is emerging on the silver screen as the older generation artistes are slowly but steadily walking towards the exit. The South Indian film world has in recent times, witnessed many young debutants making it big on the celluloid screen. In the Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam filmdoms, senior heroes and heroines are not able to compete with small-budget films made with new artistes.

Senior Telugu artistes, like Soundarya, Rambha and Roja, have been forced to give way to newcomers. In the case of Kannada film Industry too, senior actresses like Prema Charulatha and Vijayalakshmi are stepping aside to make way for freshers.

Gayathri Jayaram is one such newcomer who has used the customary door of the times to enter films � modelling, beauty contests, and then, films.

Though her much-hyped film in Tamil, Manathai Thirudivittai did not do much for her career, her performance in a particular dance sequence in the film with Prabhu Deva was much talked about. But she was also criticised for exposing too much in the film � which she justifies as being a requisite factor of her character.

Her entry into Kannada films seems to have augured well for her. Her first film, Neela, in which she portrayed the title role was directed by the well-known Kannada film-maker T.S. Nagabharana and drew high praise.

Her Telugu film Aaduthu Paaduthu was also a big hit. Now, she has a couple of films in Tamil.

Looks like the Mumbai-based actress has now decided to rivet her focus on a full-time acting career, though she is a physiotherapist by profession. For now, she has forayed into acting.

�I wanted to do medicine. I never contemplated taking up acting as a career,� she confesses. �Also, I am quite conscious of the fact that for an actress, the career path will not be too long. Then, I can always get back to my roots,� she supplements.

Excerpts from the interview:-

How did your acting career take off?

My acting career started and blossomed after I got a call from veteran film-maker K. Balachander to act in his tele-serial. Then I did a couple of serials as Neela came up.

Your role in Sri did not have much of a scope and it looked half-baked?

It was a kind of cameo and I did it because I liked it.

She owes it all to Nagabharana (for Neela)for extracting good work from her which received much appreciation. �He moulded me well,� she says.

About your family?

My father is an auditor and we basically hail from Kumbakonam, down South.

Was it by choice that you landed up in the tinsel world?

More or less. Right from my early days, my friends used to pester me to do modelling. I did several modelling assignments for saris. Then I shifted my focus to ramp.

I won the Miss Tamilnadu title in 1997 and in 1998, it was Miss South India.

In 2000-01, I participated in the Miss India Beauty contest. Lara Dutta came first. Priyanka Chopra was second, Diya Mirza third, while I took the fourth place. A lot of friends suggested that I enter films � a desire that was sleeping in a corner inside my mind.

Gayathri is also an athlete and a sportswoman good in high jump, long jump etc.

Gayathri is such a popular model in ads in Kerala that even for beedi ads, her cut-outs are used.

Will Gayathri Jayaram who is grace personified, stay in the industry for long? Only time should tell.