It was surprising enough to see the ‘happy happy’ Hansika doing a supernatural thriller like Aranmanai. But she’s even done a sequel, Aranmanai 2, which is releasing this January. We catch up with Hansika in Chennai, where she’s shooting for Pokkiri Raja with Jiiva and Sibiraj. The audio and teaser of Aranmanai 2 are already out, and the photos show-off a glamorous-looking Hansika with Siddharth, Trisha, and Poonam Bajwa.
There’s plenty of anticipation about her role in the film, but Hansika isn’t giving away any spoilers. She says enigmatically, “I can’t reveal anything much. All I can say is that my role is similar to [my role in Aranmanai], but at the same time it’s different.” In an age when everyone wants to look slim, Hansika doesn’t mind looking different, “This is the first time I’m playing a pregnant woman on screen.” The actress wanted to have a realistic approach to her role, “I’m going to be seen with a baby bump on screen. I told director Sundar C that it will add to the character if shown that way, and he agreed.”
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Sundar C once told an interviewer that Hansika was his lucky charm. The two have previously worked together on three films, Theeya Velai Seiyanum Kumaru, Aranmanai, and Ambalai. For Hansika, there’s a great sync with the director and his team, which adds to her comfort levels, and creates a feel-good factor while shooting. And that’s evident on screen. She says, “For me, it’s always a feeling of homecoming with Sundar C’s films. It’s a mix of nostalgia, of remembering the first part. At the same time, I don’t feel that any time has flown in between. I just feel I’m walking into the second schedule of Aranmanai. I go in and say, ‘Okay, now which scene am I doing next?’”
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It’s a horror film, and Hansika has no love for the genre in real life. She laughs, “I haven’t seen a horror film for the last 13 years. The only horror film I saw was Aranmanai, since I was a part of it.” And while Aranmanai 2 may be full of scary moments for viewers, it holds no eeriness for Hansika. She says, “I’m the one who scares other people on screen! While shooting, I just had a blast and was having too much fun to feel anything else.
In fact, they used to call me ‘vaalu’ and a prankster, since I kept the mood light.”
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Aranmanai 2 also stars Trisha, and the Hansika-Trisha duo seem to have hit it off well. Hansika says, “It was fun working with Trash. I’ve know her from quite some time now. We share one song and a few scenes in this film. We get along really well and had lots to talk about.” Some might believe that heroines can’t be friends, but Hansika has an entirely different view, “I feel two girls can always mingle when they have the same interests.”
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The movie is gearing up to release on January 29, and Hansika is gearing up to a fruitful year in 2016. She says, “Apart from Aranmanai 2’s release, I have the remake of Jolly LLB coming up, along with Pokkiri Raja. 2016 seems like a bright year for me.”
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