Reels helped me enter the film industry: Akshaya Udayakumar

Popular social media influencer and actress Akshaya Udayakumar, who played the role of the heroine’s sister in Pradeep Ranganathan’s Love Today, has been garnering praise for her screen presence. Akshaya says this wouldn’t have been possible without Pradeep.

“Initially, I was a bit sceptical about signing the project, because my character had very little screen time and I feared the film might not give me the muchneeded break. However, post the film’s release, people started to celebrate my character. I was surprised to see a lot of positive memes made on my character, and I feel really blessed. I thank Pradeep for trusting my abilities and giving me an opportunity to be part of this film. ” She adds, “Also, more than the recognition, it’s about the experience that I gained working with stalwarts like Sathyaraj sir and Radikaa ma’am. For me, every day was a learning experience on the sets.”

While most of the memes have been constructive (some even describe her as ‘the most beautiful sister’), some compare her with the film’s lead actress Ivana. Akshaya says she and Ivana get along really well. “In fact, it was Ivana who first shared the positive posts and memes that praised me on her social media handle. She is a great friend of mine.”

Even before her Kollywood debut, the young actress had a considerable fan following on social media, thanks to the Insta reels that she posts. “Coming from a non-filmi background, I had no idea how to pursue my passion for acting. That’s when I started making interesting reels with my brother, who shares my passion. We started recreating popular scenes in films of different genres to showcase our skills and also improve them,” she explains and adds, “I feel this route is safer for aspiring actors than going to bogus audition calls.”

The actress also had a release in Malayalam recently, with the film Haya, which features her as one of the leads. She reveals that she missed out on another project in Malayalam due to a ligament injury. “I felt so bad to let go of that project. However, I managed to shoot for Haya and a Tamil film despite my injury,” she says. Quiz her about the Tamil film, and says she’s not allowed to talk about it yet as it’s too early. “It’s a performance-oriented role and something close to my heart,” is all she’s willing to let in on at the moment.

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