Model-turned-actress Mumbai girl Akanksha, or Aashi as she is fondly called, made her debut in Mollywood with 'Samrajyam 2: Son of Alexander'. She will be seen in yet another Malayalam movie Praise the Lord directed by Shibu Gangadharan. “I play the role of Annie, a Delhi-bred Keralite who is very modern, bold and adventurous. I’m paired opposite Ahmed Siddiqui, who is a simpleton and the reason for my return to Kerala. In Kerala I meet Mammooka and the story begins,” says Aashi.
Akanksha will dub in Malayalam for the first time for 'Praise the Lord'. However, the north Indian beauty is quite at ease with the task. “The advantage is that my character is that of a Delhi-based girl who is relatively unfamiliar with the culture and language of Kerala. So, even if I mess up with the words or don’t make the cultural connection required it would go with the character,” she adds.
The actress says the whole shoot was a fun affair. “It was such a fun family movie that all of us really enjoyed being part of the project. We used to play all sorts of games on the sets and sing songs playing Antakshari. It was great. Everyone on the sets called me Aashi just like at home, so it made me feel very comfortable. However, Mollywood is so disciplined and everyone approaches the shoots with absolute professionalism. Even though it was his first directorial venture, Shibu knew what he required and made it clear that he would have nothing less and nothing more. But then when we were not shooting, it was all fun. We have completed 80 per cent of the shoot and what remains is a song sequence and some scenes,” she adds.
Reffering to her experience of working with Mammootty, she says, “It was tremendous. The first Malayalam movie that I watched was Mammooka’s 'Samrajyam'. I watched the movie just before the shoot of 'Samrajyam 2'. Later on I watched his other movies like Big B. So to be able to act with him was a great opportunity. He is such a perfectionist and is obsessed with the most minute details. So you can pick a lot of tips just watching him. We even used to talk about his passion for sports cars.” Akanksha is currently busy shooting for Suresh S.V’s Kannada movie 'Lodde'.
