Express News Service
The third season of Bigg Boss Tamil put Losliya Mariyanesan on the map, but the former Sri Lankan newsreader says calling it overnight fame would be an oversimplification of her journey. “I began working at 18 and moving to India was a huge step,” Losliya says. “Back home, there aren’t many avenues to prove oneself and the rest of the world doesn’t get to see your efforts and hard work. So, in order to make it big here (the Tamil film industry), one needs to be present here. This is a huge advantage for home-grown artists. I, on the other hand, had to leave my family behind and move here. I knew nothing when starting out and have survived through it all by myself. So, when I look back at the struggles I have endured—coming from a Sri Lankan village to where I am today—I can tell you it is not just about Bigg Boss fame.”
Acting, incidentally, wasn’t her biggest ambition. “I always wanted to host a show for Vijay TV; it was my dream. Bigg Boss was an unexpected turn. When I was offered the reality show all of a sudden, I took out 30 seconds to think and there wasn’t even enough time to sit and contemplate the choice,” says Losliya, who eventually ended up as the show’s second runner-up in 2019. “Similarly, when the first film offer came my way, I took my time to mull over this new career path and whether I’d be able to do justice to the profession.”
Post her Bigg Boss-stint, she has accumulated tremendous fan-following across social media platforms but this, she says, hasn’t affected her real-life personality. “Like everyone in the entertainment industry, I wanted to be recognised by people and that’s why I forayed into it. I’m grateful for the recognition. As a whole though, life has remained the same.”
Losliya will be making her film debut with Friendship, co-starring cricketer Harbhajan Singh, Arjun, and Sathish, among others. It’s a film about, as you guessed it, friendship, and Losliya says it is a reflection of the friendly dynamics she shared with her co-stars. “Bhaji sir is a down-to-earth person. He would tell us stories from the cricket field, especially from matches against Sri Lanka. He is a completely different person in real life. Sathish, on the other hand, keeps pulling everybody’s leg with his jokes,” she says, adding that the inclusion of Harbhajan Singh also has a personal connection for her. “My father, with whom I used to watch most of the cricket matches, was an avid cricket follower and a huge fan of team India. He was delighted when I broke the news that I would be sharing screen space with Harbhajan Singh.”
Losliya will be following up her debut project with Google Kuttappan, an official remake of Android Kunjappan Version 5.25, starring and produced by ace director KS Ravikumar. “I love Ravikumar sir’s Tenali, Padayappa, Muthu, and Aadhavan to name a few. While shooting for the film, he narrated several anecdotes from his filmmaking journey. Listening to these beautiful behind-the-scenes stories from the films I grew up watching, was quite a fulfilling experience!” she says.
On the acting front, the debutant concedes that she has a long way to go in terms of learning the craft. “Professionally, I have just embarked on my acting journey and if you ask me whether I would be able to give a perfect effective performance right away, kandipaa kedayaathu. However, going forward, I want to choose and play characters that people will remember long after watching the film,” she concludes.
Source: The New Indian Express