From Poverty To Sexual Harassment, Kanaa Actress Aishwarya Rajesh Narrates Her Journey

Aishwarya Rajesh, became a household name for the Tamil audience after doing movies like Vada Chennai, Kuttrame Thandanai, Jomonte Suvisheshangal and Kanaa, The actress, who has impressed us with her acting prowess in many women-centric films was once told by many directors that she isn’t “heroine material.” Yes, the actress had her fair share of struggles before she managed to find her niche in the South film industry.

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Aishwarya Rajesh has hit the headlines after her TedX talk video went viral. In the video,  the actress reveals the struggles she faced, right from poverty to sexual harassment, before she found success and fame in the film industry. In a recent TEDx talk at IIM Trichy; Aishwarya opened up about her life story.

Her Childhood

Aishwarya started with her childhood days where she mentions about losing her father (actor Rajesh) at the age of 8 and her mother had to step up to raise her four children. Talking about the struggles her mother had to go through, she said that her mother was not educated but she was a fighter. Her mother, started earning money by buying sarees at whole sale prices in Mumbai and selling them in Chennai. She also worked as an LIC and a real-estate agent to keep the family afloat. “Even now, she tries selling LIC policy to my co-stars,” said Aishwarya with a laugh. She did it all by herself and not once did she make her children feel the absence of their father.

Deaths in the Family

Death reared its ugly head again in Aishwarya’s life. She lost her eldest brother when she was 12 years old. The actress reveals that her family still has no clue whether it was a suicide or a murder or an accident. Their grief was compounded a few years later when Aishwarya also lost her second brother in an accident. Her mother was devastated by the deaths of two of her children and retired into a shell. As a result, Aishwarya, the youngest, had to team up with her third and now only brother to take up the financial responsibility for her family.

Initial Career 

Aishwarya did promotional activities at the mall when she was 16 and earned Rs.225. Later, she worked as an anchor in a couple of reality TV shows. Since the money was not sufficient to take care of her family, Aishwarya tried working in telly shows but that too was insufficient. So, then she started to approach film directors.

Criticisms

Aishwarya’s early years in the film industry were a trial of a different kind. Besides facing sexual harassment, she was also rejected at many auditions for her dusky skin tone and it was suggested to her that she would be better in supporting roles, as a result. However, Aishwarya ignored the negativity and worked hard to achieve her goals.

Talking about the same, Aishwarya added, “I got a lot of criticisms and also faced sexual harassments but I know how to handle it. If somebody tries to abuse me, I know how to give it back.” Encouraging the women to be strong and bold, Aishwarya tells them, “I want all the women to do that.”

Success

After two to three years of running around and many rejections, she bagged her first film Attakathi, where she played a small yet prominent role as Amudha. Post that she got a couple of films where she played the lead role, but Kaaka Muttai was a landmark film in which she proved her mettle. Aishwarya said, “Kaaka Muttai changed my life. I played a (slum) mother to two children in the film. Nobody wanted to play that role but I followed my intuitions and did it. Well, that movie was the gamechanger in my life.”

The actress always felt sad that she never got an opportunity to star opposite a big actor. However, she does not feel that way anymore. Aishwarya then decided that she will become the hero herself in her films and that’s when she did Kanaa. She then started to take up several women-centric films and she is now known for it. Concluding her speech, Aishwarya told her audience, “I have struggled by myself all my life and one should never give up.”

What do you think of Aishwarya’s struggles and her never-say-die attitude during her journey towards success? Share your thoughts in the comment section below. Stay tuned!

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