POWER, PASSION, PROVOCATION

From fierce screen presence to fearless choices, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar is rewriting stardom on her own unapologetic terms

- BY NAMITA GUPTA

She's played a gorgeous gangster, a fiery cop, a grieving mother, and a woman wronged, but the vivacious Varalaxmi Sarathkumar is never just about the role she plays.

With each performance, from the haunting intensity of Sarkar to the raw power of Danny, the layered vulnerability of Kondraal Paavam, and the fierce resolve in Tharai Thappattai, the stunning star has carved a space that defies typecasting. Off-screen, she's just as compelling, unfiltered, fearless, and deeply grounded. In a film industry that often tends to favour the predictable, Varu, (as she's fondly called) is a storm that refuses to settle. We sat down with the actress who's redefining what it means to be a leading woman on her own terms.

You played a diverse set of characters from fierce to intense and even vulnerable. What do you look for in a role when you read a script?

From day one, it's always been about the script being the hero. And can the film be made without me in it? That's always the question I ask myself. If that character is not important enough that you're not going to miss it, then it's not worth my time. But if it's vital that my role makes an impact or you need that role for a film to move forward, then I take it up.

So how did it all start? Can you recall your first film and how it came your way? And did it help with your dad already being an influential name in the industry?