May 15, 2026 1:53pm IST
Malavika Mohanan Says Thalapathy Vijay’s Discipline Taught Her ‘There’s No Wasting Production Money’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Malavika Mohanan began her foray into films with Malayalam cinema, and worked across industries working in films like "Beyond The Clouds," "Hridayapoorvam" and more. but over the last few years, she has been part of some of South India’s biggest mainstream productions. From starring opposite Thalapathy Vijay in “Master” to working alongside Dhanush in “Maaran,” Malavika says the biggest education came not from workshops or classrooms, but from simply observing stars at work.
Speaking about actors who shaped her understanding of professionalism early in her career, Malavika mentions Vijay, Rajinikanth and Mohanlal. “Some of the most senior actors that I’ve worked with, like Mohanlal, Rajinikanth and Vijay, are so disciplined. Working with them early on in my career showed me what professionalism means. There is a skill set, acting and craft, but on the other hand, it’s also about how you show up at work. I’ve seen them turn up for a 7 a.m. call time by 6:55 a.m. There’s no delay, no wasting production money, and that’s such an important learning for a young actor.”
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In an industry where larger-than-life stardom often dominates public conversations, Vijay’s punctuality and discipline behind the scenes are legendary. Malavika says witnessing that first-hand changed the way she approached film sets.
Her biggest technical learning experiences, however, are courtesy of Dhanush. Mohanan says he helped her understand how acting for the camera is more about restraint than exaggeration. “ From Dhanush, I learned so much about the technicality of acting. Acting is such a technical game; you could be a good actor, but if you don’t know how to play with the camera or how to register emotions on camera, then it’s a moot exercise. He taught me how to ‘romance the camera,’ how to use my eyes, angle my face for certain emotions, and even how to perform differently for 48 frames instead of 24.”
She recalls a moment from a crying scene that completely changed her understanding of screen performance. “I remember doing a scene in a police station where I was crying in a loud, grotesque manner. But because the shot was in slow motion, it looked distracting on playback. And Dhanush was like, ‘No, it’s not working. Why don’t you internalize the crying?’ He asked me to make it tighter and more restrained, and then the shot looked so much better. It sounds like a small thing, but technical details like that, which I learned from him, prepped me so much as an actor.”
Meanwhile, Mohanan, who continues to balance commercial cinema with performance-driven roles, says those early lessons in discipline, technical awareness, and respect for the craft remain central to how she approaches her work even today.
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