Padmapriya learning martial arts

By: Settu Shankar
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
After losing out in the race to play the Queen's role in the much-hyped film Pazhassi Raja, Padmapriya is now learning Kalari fight techniques in Kerala.

This period film directed by veteran Hariharan and scripted by ace filmmaker M.T.Vasudevan Nair has Mammooty in the lead role and Sarath Kumar is appearing in a special role for the first time in Malayalam. Initially, Hollywood actress Linda was considered for the lady lead role but she turned down the offer after going through the script. According to the script, the Queen must know the Kalari martial arts and she is to fight in a fierce battle too.

The Hollywood actress rejected the offer since she doesn't know the Kalari fight. Following this, the director asked Padmapriya to take up the role. But she also had no idea about Kalari. Finally, she got the role of a tribal girl in the film and Tamil actress Kanika, who knows a bit about Kalari fight, walked away with the lead role.

Kanika is currently undergoing training on the art for her role in the film. On seeing her spirit, Padmapriya too has decided to learn the art. She has joined the Bodhi Dharma Institute of martial Arts at Poondhurai and is learning the art from Soman Master.

"I'm not joining this institute to just learn this art or to compete with anybody. I have realized that I am handicap in this area. Maybe I lost the chance to play heroine in Pazhassi Raja because of this handicap. But in future, this art will help me perform such roles with professional touch and ease. Moreover, it is a very good self defensive technique. I'm very much enjoying my days in the martial Arts Institute," said Padmapriya.