“What Difference Does It Make?” Aishwarya Lekshmi On Caste Question During Tamil Nadu Shoot
Aishwarya Lekshmi recalls an uncomfortable caste-related question during filming.
Malayalam actor Aishwarya Lekshmi has opened up about her experience while shooting for an upcoming film in rural Erode, Tamil Nadu, describing the village environment as markedly different from what she was accustomed to. In a conversation with Rajini Haridas, the actor recalled working on a portion of the film set in 1996 and said the surroundings felt as though she had stepped into another era.
Aishwarya said the location had a distinct atmosphere and culture, prompting her to repeatedly ask the director whether audiences might mistake the setting for an earlier period. “It was a very different life,” she recalled, explaining that the village appeared old and had customs that felt unfamiliar to her.
The actor also recounted an interaction with villagers that left her uncomfortable. She said people asked her about her gotra, a question she had never encountered in her life. Aishwarya said the experience gave her a newfound appreciation for Malayalees, adding that she did not even know her own gotra.
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Reflecting on the encounter, Aishwarya said she found it difficult to understand why her caste background mattered to those asking about it. “What difference does it make to you?” she said, while acknowledging that the experience was unfamiliar to her. She also clarified that she was not making a generalisation about everyone in the region, stressing that she was describing something that happened to her personally.
A doctor-turned-actor from Thiruvananthapuram, Aishwarya made her acting debut with Njandukalude Nattil Oridavela in 2017 and gained wider recognition with Mayaanadhi later that year. Her filmography includes Varathan, Kaanekkaane, Ammu, Kumari, Ponniyin Selvan: I, Ponniyin Selvan: II and Gatta Kusthi, among others.
Aishwarya is currently seen in the Malayalam mystery thriller Aasha, which also features Urvashi, Joju George and Vijayaraghavan in prominent roles. Her latest comments come as she reflects on the cultural differences she encountered while working in rural Tamil Nadu for her upcoming project.
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