Exclusive! Arun Chandu: Lena is an intelligent artist and it's hard to impress her

Be it the Sruthi in 'Traffic' or the untamable Kazhali in 'Iyobinte Pusthakam' or the loving mother Pathumma in 'Ennu Ninte Moideen', Mollywood actress Lena has always tried to give her best for the characters she signs for. Her choice of movies and characters always stands out and the diva will be next seen in ‘Saajan Bakery Since 1962’, where she will be playing one of the lead characters Betsy.In an exclusive conversation with ETimes, the director of the movie Arun Chandu shares his experience working with the seasoned actress.
“I am obsessed with the science fiction genre and Lena is someone who could understand what we are trying to convey. We can’t approach her with a half-baked script. Lena is an intelligent artist and it's hard to impress her. She is aware of its art and craft,” ‘Saajan Bakery Since 1962’ director Arun Chandu said.
When asked about how Lena is going to surprise the audience with the upcoming movie ‘Saajan Bakery Since 1962’, the director explained, “Lena has stepped into the shoes of Betsy, who is the elder sister of Bobin (Aju Varghese). Uniqueness would be the age of the character and I’ll tell you why. I feel, all these years Lena has been doing some excellent work, but most of the characters she played were mature than her. Most of them failed to do justice to her age and that jinx will be broken in our movie.”
The director playfully added that even now he is not sure if Lena is 10 or 40. “I still don’t know her age. At times she behaves like a 10-year-old and sometimes she acts 50! So, I feel with ‘Saajan Bakery Since 1962’, I was able to present her as a character that is of her age and relatable for her,” Arun Chandu added.
The filmmaker signed off sharing that working with Lena was a learning experience, “Lena signed the movie after hearing the script. Even on the sets, she was very helpful. We discussed a few scenes and she gave us some suggestions. Her inputs were really valuable. It was a great experience working with her.”