From losing her father and brothers when she was too young to facing disparaging comments in the film industry, Aishwarya Rajesh speaks about her struggle to make it big. With her dusky skin and non-film background, the journey to make it big has not been an easy one in a field where women actors are hired more for their ‘glamour’ than talent.
Aishwarya has not shied away from speaking about her struggles in interviews. In a TedX talk at IIM Trichy, Aishwarya also speaks about her challenging childhood as she grew up in a housing board in Chennai. When she lost her father at the age of 8, her uneducated mother had to step up to bring up her four children.
However, the journey was far from smooth. Aishwarya recalls that she faced all kinds of obstacles – from sexual harassment to cruel comments on her looks and personality. Ironically, her ability to speak Tamil was considered a disadvantage in the film industry and she was told she is not heroine material.
While her first film Avargalum Ivargalum didn’t do well but it was with Kaaka Muttai that she became well-known. But despite getting critical acclaim, the actor did not really bag movies with big stars. That’s when she did Kanaa deciding that she would play the hero herself. Now she has managed to get several more heroine-centric films. Her message to the audience is that if she could get to where she is right now, anyone can. She also adds that women who face sexual harassment should fight back as she has and encouraged the audience to never give up.
Watch the talk here:
