Comely, zestfully enthusiastic and convivial.
That's Lakshmi Gopalaswamy, the hazel-brown eyed tri-lingual actor and
danseuse, who's acted in Malayalam, Tamil and Kannada movies. The
acceptance in Malayalam cinema that Lakshmi has received from the audience
has made her feel much obliged to Malayalam filmgoers. Her success here
has also got her offers from her home ground, Kannada film industry
too. Her debut Malayalam film 'Arayannangalude
Veedu' got her the Kerala State Award for the best supporting actress.
Her second film 'Kochu Kochu Santhosangal' too brought in much acclaim
for her acting talents. Acting afforded her a different kind of exposure.
"Initially I was intimidated by the profession, I was too shy to
be famous," but soon felt at home.
She is very conscious about the message she conveys through her roles.
"I feel a strong social responsibility as an actress. Working on
her first film, Arayanangalude Veedu, with Mammootty for which she won
the Kerala State Award "was a treasured experience. He has such
reverence for the profession. So also the character artistes".
Cast opposite many a Malayalam screen icon in different films, she has
catapulted to fame in ‘God’s Own Country’. She says, though dance would
always remain her fave métier, she loves essaying good roles in films.
She reveals, like doing films that integrates semi-classical dance tracks,
like Kochu Kochu Santhoshangal, in which two of my classical dance numbers
had become catchy tunes all over Kerala. Her star status in film firmament
notwithstanding, she dreams of metamorphosing into a top-notch dancer.
Lakshmi Gopalaswamy is a serious student
of Bharathanatyam and a dancer of repute. She has been performing since
the age of 12 experiencing the inherent satisfaction that takes her
through the fascinating journey that art unfolds to every devoted seeker.
Endowed with classical features, she has grace and a naturalness that
complements her attractive personality, beautiful face and expressive
eyes to this art form.
A quintessential Bangalore girl, with a Master’s Degree in Women’s
studies, Lakshmi chirps when quizzed on what tops the list while prioritizing
her passions as "Unequivocally dance! Lakshmi is of the opinion
that dance has taught her to discipline herself. She feels that
since dance and films are allied arts, it influences each other tremendously.
Her dancing prowess is vindicated from the fact that she is the first
one from Karnataka to have bagged the prestigious Madras Music Academy’s
MGR award for Best Young Dancer. Incidentally, her mother, Dr. Uma Gopalaswamy,
a PhD holder in Carnatic music, lends her voice for her dance shows.
She acknowledges two people with an edifying influence, who were instrumental
in making her love for dance, escalate to great heights. One being,
Guru Narmada. Says Lakshmi, Her tacit support and unmitigated
encouragement always served as an impetus to perform better. She always
fuelled me with confidence, imbued me with plenty of verve, thus buttressing
my spirits all the time. The second person, Lakshmi says, is Prof. M.R.
Krishnamurthy of Kalakshithi who brought about the overall flair, fluidity
and finesse in her footwork and body movements.
Says Lakshmi, A good dancer should know how to translate the aurally-soothing
music (by accompaniment artistes) into visually-stunning dance movements.
She should be able to pique the audiences’ deepest feelings by striking
a bond between them, and not merely entertain. Sensitizing them to aesthetics
and nuances of your dance is equally vital. Finally, you should enjoy
being yourself, by ripping off all the faux veneers. Lakshmi calls herself
an ‘instinctive dancer’, and says, it’s fun to thrive on improvisation,
and to rise above technical parameters of dance.
She reveals, I don’t like being ‘prepared to a T’ during my dance shows.
Though I chalk out the framework within which to operate, yet, some
part is presented by me ‘off the cuff’. This really proffers high fillip
to your creative competence.
Besides dance and acting, she models
too. To Lakshmi,
modeling is not a fulltime profession but
a fleeting fascination. Her beautiful eyes speak, "I see modeling
as a break from dance. It's a lot of good fun. You get to travel, meet
a host of interesting people and build your contacts. Besides
there is the inherent freedom of earning. I must admit that I am a little
selective about the offers I accept. I may fall into another slot of
models altogether. My choice limits me to 'house bound' roles because
I wouldn't want to endorse a product that requires me to be what I am
not. For that matter, I wouldn't want to be playing second-fiddle or
look like a set-prop either. Often, my moral standards also play on
my discretion. For instance, I wouldn't want to do an ad that glorifies
fairness as a synonym for beauty. I am also averse to doing liquor
ads."
Deadlines depress her, being lazy is
something actress Lakshmi Gopalaswamy
loves. She delights in dressing up, loathes sending e-mails and is not
a morning person by self confession; she hated exams and unabashedly
admits to having the entire family cajole her before she left for her
exams.
Films and dance apart, she'd like to marry "a nice, handsome man,
who's simple at heart and someone who inspires and appreciates my interest
in the arts".
