Jyotika: Ponmagal Vandhal Is The Most Challenging Role I Have Ever Played In My Career
News
oi-Sumit Rajguru
By Lekhaka
Amazon
Prime
Video
released
the
trailer
of
the
much-awaited
Tamil
courtroom
drama
Ponmagal
Vandhal,
on
21st
May,
2020.
Produced
by
2D
Entertainment,
the
legal
drama
features
a
power-packed
performance
by
Jyotika,
who
essays
the
role
of
a
lawyer.
With
Ponmagal
Vandhal,
Jyotika
takes
the
centre
stage
as
we
find
her
in
a
conversation
with
us,
ahead
of
the
release.
Tell
us
something
about
your
next
Tamil
film
Ponmagal
Vandhal.
What
do
you
feel
about
this
project?
My
next
film
Ponmagal
Vandhal
is
a
thriller
with
a
difference.
You
can
also
call
it
a
contemporary
courtroom
drama.
My
heart
is
very
close
to
the
subject
which
has
been
tackled
in
the
film
by
the
director
JJ
Frederick
who
has
also
written
it,
besides
making
his
debut
as
a
director.
The
film
has
a
very
pertinent
social
message
with
which
each
and
every
person
who
watches
it
will
be
able
to
identify
with
it
instantly
and
also
connect
to
it.
It
is
a
film
which
will
make
every
woman
proud.
As
an
actor,
you
have
shared
the
screen
with
five
different
actors
who
are
also
directors
of
their
own
right.
How
was
the
entire
experience?
I
have
been
lucky
that
in
the
film,
I
got
an
opportunity
to
work
with
five
actors
who
are
also
goods
directors,
including
K
Parthiepan,
Thiagarajan,
Pandiarajan,
Pratap
Pothen
and
K.Bhagyaraj.
It
was
Frederick's
vision
and
idea
to
cast
five
different
actors
who
are
also
directors
in
the
film.
I
should
confess
that
it
was
a
learning
experience
for
me.
I
learnt
how
they
prepared
their
dialogues
and
delivered
them
clearly
with
precision
and
clarity.
You
play
a
lawyer
in
the
film.
To
put
it
in
a
context,
at
home-
are
you
a
lawyer
or
a
judge?
At
home,
I
am
never
a
lawyer
because
I
am
always
a
judge.
If
you
compare
me
with
my
earlier
films
as
an
actress,
you
will
realize
that
I
have
really
come
out
of
my
shell.
I
am
now
under
the
blue
sky.
Today,
if
you
ask
me
I
can
do
any
kind
of
role.
I
feel
I
am
blessed
that
though
I
am
not
asking
any
director
to
give
me
a
good
role,
I
am
being
approached
by
many
directors
with
subjects
which
are
daringly
different
from
the
kind
of
subjects,
which
are
being
made
these
days.
How
difficult
was
it
to
act
with
directors
like
Parthiepan
and
K
Bhagyaraj?
It
was
a
big
challenge
to
deliver
my
dialogues
in
front
of
Parthiepan
because
they
were
lengthy
and
it
is
basically
a
courtroom
drama
but
thankfully,
I
was
prepared
as
I
was
given
the
script
three
months
ago
by
the
writer-director.
It
is
to
the
credit
of
director
Frederick
that
he
has
shot
four
single
shots
each
of
five
minutes,
You
would
not
believe
that
Frederick,
who
is
in
his
20's
has
not
only
written
the
subject
well
but
also
made
his
debut
with
this
film
so
much
so
that
in
the
first
narration
itself
I
was
hooked
on
to
the
subject
and
said
yes
to
be
a
part
of
it.
The
film
has
a
lot
of
layers,
thrills',
twists
and
turns
along
with
an
amazing
interval
point
and
also,
a
smashing
climax.
I
was
sure
that
he
was
going
to
give
his
best
shot
to
the
film
when
he
narrated
the
subject
to
me.
You
are
very
selective
with
your
projects
and
do
not
accept
all
offers
dangled
in
front
of
you.
What
is
the
reason
behind
this?
I
cannot
accept
any
and
every
role.
I
have
a
son
as
well
as
a
daughter.
I
want
characters
that
are
not
only
intelligent
but
also
dignified
to
the
core.
In
Ponmagal
Vandhal,
I
play
a
lawyer
in
the
session
court
in
Ooty.
I
want
to
play
real-life
characters,
with
which
the
audiences
can
easily
identify
themselves
with.
I
will
agree
to
do
a
film
only
if
I
am
sure
that
people
will
talk
about
my
role
and
the
film
even
20
years
after
your
film
is
released.
If
you
play
a
cop's
role,
you
can
easily
pad
your
scene
with
action
but
when
you
set
out
to
play
a
lawyer,
you
cannot
resort
to
action
and
have
to
deliver
your
lines
with
perfection.
Considering
the
fact
that
I
have
never
ever
gone
to
a
court
till
date,
I
should
thank
the
director
for
having
done
all
his
homework
with
perfection.
Your
film
is
being
dropped
on
an
OTT
platform
like
Amazon
Prime
Video.
What
do
you
think
about
the
pros
and
cons
of
this
release?
I'd
say,
there
are
only
pros
and
no
cons.
Especially,
in
the
last
few
months
after
the
Coronavirus
scare,
the
number
of
people
who
are
watching
the
OTT
platform
has
shot
up
considerably.
Though
all
said
and
done,
I
will
not
deny
that
had
the
situation
been
different,
it
would
have
been
a
joy
as
an
actor
to
see
the
reaction
of
the
audiences
when
your
film
is
released
in
theatres.
OTT
release
is
a
big
celebration
for
actors
and
directors
because
it
is
a
very
beautiful
platform,
as
a
filmmaker
will
be
able
to
reach
many
more-
as
many
as
200
countries
all
over
the
world.
I
would
say
that
OTT
is
actually
an
extension
of
films,
but
it
is
also
not
a
permanent
solution.
It
is
the
only
solution
for
the
time
being
when
theatres
are
not
open.
If
we
wait
to
release
Ponmagal
Vandhal,
there
is
a
long
queue.
It
will
take
at
least
a
year
for
the
hero
oriented
films
to
release,
and
the
heroine
oriented
films
will
get
their
chance
only
after
two
years.
Why
do
you
prefer
to
work
in
only
your
own
home
productions?
After
36
Vayadhinile,
I
have
mostly
acted
in
only
my
own
home
productions,
because
I
will
be
in
my
own
comfort
zone
when
I
am
acting
in
my
own
films,
especially
since
I
have
to
strike
a
balance
between
my
career
and
also
my
home
and
kids.
Also,
when
you
do
not
know
how
the
audience
is
going
to
respond
to
your
film,
it
is
better
to
invest
in
your
film
on
your
own.
I
am
extremely
happy
with
the
role
I
have
been
offered
in
Ponmagal
Vandhal
as
there
are
several
layers
to
my
role
as
a
lawyer
but
I
would
not
like
to
divulge
more
details
about
my
role
in
the
film.
However,
I
can
say
for
fact
that
the
message
that
is
underlined
in
the
film
will
touch
everyone's
heart.
You
seem
to
opt
to
act
under
new
directors
in
your
films
of
late.
JJ
Fredrick
is
also
a
new
director,
who
is
all
set
to
make
his
debut
with
Ponmagal
Vandhal?
I
feel
that
working
with
newcomers
as
directors
is
very
good,
because
they
do
not
follow
the
typical
pattern.
They
belong
to
a
new
genre
and
their
working
process
is
very
different
from
that
of
mine.
If
I
work
only
with
the
same
directors,
I
may
end
up
becoming
stagnant
as
an
actress.
If
you
ask
me
what
the
criterion
by
which
I
select
my
films
is,
I'd
say
that
I
always
see
what
the
screenplay
of
a
film
offers.
The
character
of
Venba
that
I
play
in
Ponmagal
Vandhal
is
the
most
challenging
that
I
have
ever
played
in
my
career.
It
is
my
49th
film.
Suriya
loved
the
film
when
he
saw
it
because
it
has
such
a
fresh
premise
not
yet
seen
in
any
Tamil
film
before.
I
am
100
percent
sure
that
everyone
will
connect
to
the
film
in
large
numbers.
Why
did
you
decide
to
launch
your
own
production
banner?
2D
Entertainment
is
the
banner
under
which
Suriya
and
I
produce
films.
We
set
out
to
make
films
because
we
feel
that
cinema
is
a
very
strong
medium
and
a
gift
to
us
actors
as
well
as
producers
to
influence
feel
good
minds.
It
is
nice
to
feel
socially
responsible
as
actors.
Suriya
is
not
only
a
great
husband
but
as
a
producer,
he
does
not
interfere
at
all.
He
came
only
once
when
we
were
shooting
in
Ooty
because
it
was
raining
heavily
and
he
just
wanted
to
make
sure
that
the
shooting
did
not
suffer
on
account
of
the
rains.
Are
you
also
open
to
act
in
web
series
in
the
near
future?
Though
my
film
as
a
producer
and
actor
is
going
to
be
dropped
on
OTT
platform,
if
you
ask
me
whether
I'd
like
to
work
in
web
series,
I'd
say
that
I
am
not
sure.
Nothing
in
my
life
including
acting
in
films
had
been
planned
till
today.
I
feel
good
cinema
should
live
in.
See,
if
I
do
not
get
good
offers
to
act
in
films,
who
knows,
I
may
take
up
acting
in
web
series
too.
Like
you
said,
you
balance
your
work
as
an
actress
as
well
as
home.
Which
has
been
your
best
role
till
today?
My
brain
functions
the
best
from
7
am
to
12
noon
every
day.
I
feel,
when
my
husband
has
constructed
such
a
big
and
nice
bungalow,
why
should
I
continue
working.
If
you
ask
me,
which
is
the
toughest
role
to
play,
I'd
say
that
the
role
of
the
housewife
is
the
toughest.
It
is
tougher
than
being
a
part
of
a
biopic.
How
keen
are
you
on
entering
into
the
world
of
politics?
Like
my
sister
Nagma,
I
do
not
want
to
take
up
politics
because
I
am
of
the
opinion
that
you
can
do
far
greater
work
for
the
masses
even
though
you
are
not
in
politics
because
I
think
every
actor
has
a
social
responsibility,
and
should
not
just
depend
on
the
government.
Before
setting
out
to
clean
your
city,
you
should
see
to
it
that
your
house
is
clean.
Isn't
it?
Watch
Jyotika
bring
a
new
character
to
us
all
in
her
all-new
film.
Ponmagal
Vandhal
is
a
Jyotika
and
Suriya
production,
under
their
banner
2D
Entertainment.
The
film
is
directed
by
JJ
Fredrick.
Being
the
first
Tamil
film
to
premiere
worldwide
directly
on
Amazon
Prime
Video,
Ponmagal
Vandhal
will
be
available
exclusively
for
Prime
members
to
stream
from
May
29,
in
more
than
200
countries
and
territories.