A flame sparked in childhood never dimmed—it simply waited for the right moment to shine again. This is the story of Swasika, whose passion for acting survived a 12-year pause before making a powerful return. Her soul-stirring portrayal of Yasodhai marked not just a comeback but a reaffirmation of her place in Tamil cinema.
Gone are the days of waiting. With Lubber Panthu earning praise and standout performances in Retro and Maaman, Swasika has emerged as one of South India’s most compelling character artists. But her story is still unfolding. In a candid chat, she reflects on the psychology behind her role choices, her constant need to reinvent herself, and her upcoming collaborations with Suriya and Dulquer Salmaan. She also hints at a surprising genre and character type she’s eager to explore—proof that her fire is far from fading.

1. Your performance was very natural, portraying Girija? How did you prepare for the role? Any special homework or were you following the director’s foot path?
Actually, it’s a bit of both. Homework is definitely important for an artist, so I make sure to do mine. But most of it comes from the director’s input. He understands the character better than I do—how they should speak, how they should react—so he guides me. Director Prashanth Pandiyaraj taught me a lot in that regard. After that, we usually discuss whether I can approach it differently or suggest something new. Once all that is done, and we go through rehearsals with the rest of the cast, we reach a final conclusion. That’s how I prepare for a role.

2. Coming off an iconic role in Lubber Panthu, you have signed two projects with Suriya sir, and it looks promising. Have things changed after Lubber Panthu?
After Lubber Panthu, everything changed for me. I’m genuinely so happy because the reception and appreciation I received across Tamil Nadu after that film was truly heartwarming. It felt like a dream come true — I’m living in a dream world right now.

It was only after Lubber Panthu that I got on board with Suriya 45, Retro, and Maaman. The calls started coming in after people saw my performance in that film. What’s exciting is that all these roles are completely different. While Maaman and Lubber Panthu may have a similar traditional, village-style look, the characters themselves are very distinct.

In Retro, I played a totally different character. Even though my screen time was limited, the role had a strong impact. In Surya 45, I’m appearing in a completely new avatar — both in terms of look and personality.

After Lubber Panthu, people began to see me differently — they said, “Swasika as an artist can portray this, can portray that.” They began to believe I could take on any kind of role, and that means everything to me as an artist. I’m very grateful for that. I’m truly looking forward to exploring many more characters in the future.

3. You must have heard it a lot after the success, for taking a MIL role in Lubber Panthu. But you don’t seem to be bothered by it. In Maaman, you played as Soori’s sister? So, what’s your philosophy of choosing a role?
Honestly, there’s no point in having inhibitions anymore — right now, I just want to do meaningful work in front of the camera. For me, as an artist, Swasika shouldn’t miss any opportunity that comes her way. If I only keep the age factor in mind and I miss out on performance-oriented roles now, it won’t help my career.
I started acting at 16. Back then, I could afford to think, “I’m young, I’ll choose roles that suit my age.” But things have changed. Now, my only focus is to take up roles and prove myself. Because if we keep waiting, time doesn’t wait — it moves on. This is not the time to worry about maintaining a certain image. I have faith in my ability to pull off different kinds of characters. And if I want to be given that space, I have to prove that I’m a strong performer. That’s where my mindset is right now.

4. What kind of stories and characters are you looking to explore next?
I really want to do a full-on psycho kind of role. There’s a web series called Killing Eve — it has two strong female characters. After watching one of the psycho characters in that, I felt a strong urge to play a similar role. I’ve always been drawn to negative characters. There’s a certain freedom in playing them — in terms of look, behaviour, and actions. You can go to any extreme, creatively. That’s why doing a negative role is something I’ve always wanted, and it keeps running in my mind.

Also, since I’m a classical dancer, I’d love to play a role that involves a lot of dancing. A character who is a dancer or a story centered around a dancer — even historical characters — would be a dream, because it gives me space to express myself through dance as well.

In international films, I really admire the characters in Killing Eve. And when it comes to all-time favourite characters, I love Neelambari from Padayappa and Kajol’s role in Gupt. Those are iconic negative roles that have stayed with me.

5. State award for character role in Vasanthi, proved your mettle in Lubber Panthu as well. How did you get your first breakthrough?
I didn’t have any guru, and there’s no family background in cinema either. When I was in the sixth standard, I acted in a theatre play for the school youth festival. That’s when my teachers and trainers said, “You can do this… You should try becoming a film actor.” Maybe they said it jokingly, but that line stayed with me. I started thinking, maybe it could happen.
Getting appreciation at that age felt so special, and from then on, I had only one dream — to become an actor. I never had any ambition to be an engineer or doctor. From that moment, acting became my dream. I worked on myself — standing in front of the mirror, performing, practicing. Dance helped me too, in a big way. But mostly, I trained myself like that, with no formal backing. My first role was in Tamil, in the film Vaigai. I went for the audition, got selected, and it was a happy experience. But once the film released, it didn’t do well, and everything went upside down. Getting that first opportunity felt great, but the struggle to get back on track was really, really hard. The big break finally came with Lubber Panthu — after 12 long years.

6. Do you still get time for classical dance or your other artistic passions amidst the shoots?
Yes, definitely. As a dancer, I’m still learning and actively practicing classical dance. Earlier, I used to practice for two hours every day. Now, I may not be able to do that much, but I still make sure to practice at least one item — usually around 15 to 20 minutes — and overall, I practice for at least an hour. I absolutely love dancing. It’s something I truly enjoy, and apart from that, I don’t really have many other hobbies. Whenever I’m free, I watch dance videos and keep learning.

I perform Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, and Mohiniyattam. Actually, dancing Bharatanatyam really gives a strong foundation for acting. Because of the rhythm, timing, and expressions, it becomes easier to grasp emotions quickly. If you give me an emotion to portray, I can understand it and respond without much confusion.

But being a classical dancer can also be a bit of a challenge — sometimes, there’s a tendency to over-emote. That’s something I constantly work on, trying to tone it down. Still, dance has helped me a lot in various aspects of acting. Shobana ma’am is my role model. I truly admire her journey as both a dancer and an actor.

7. What are your upcoming films?
Surya 45 will be my next release, but it might take a little time since the shoot is still in progress. I’m also working on a series for Netflix — the shoot for that is going on as well. Then, I have a Telugu film releasing next month, and another Telugu project where I’m acting alongside Dulquer Salmaan. I can’t reveal too much about the characters right now, but I can say that in Surya 45, my role has a negative shade — though it’s not as psychotic as I had imagined or hoped for! And in the film with DQ sir, I’m playing his sister. It’s a women-centric story. DQ sir is the lead, but when the film comes out, I believe many women will really connect with it. His fanbase is only going to grow even more. He’s playing a very sweet and endearing character. So, it’s a busy year ahead for me.