Vishwaroopam girl Pooja Kumar welcomes #MeToo movement, says serious issues must be addressed

Actress Pooja Kumar,  who impressed audiences with her performances in both Kamal Haasan's Vishwaroopam and Vishwaroopam 2, has welcomed the #MeToo movement that has taken the country by storm.

The US-based actress, who is in the process of shifting her home to Chennai, said, "I think women have genuine concerns and I think they should come forward. If you have a serious issue, you must address it. It's important that we talk about it."  

At the moment, the actress has just finished working on Priyadarshan's women-centric film, The Invisible Mask.

Giving out details, she said, "It is a Hindi film and it will be released on Netflix. It is basically a film that comprises four different stories, something in the pattern of I Hate Luv Storys (2010). Priyan sir has directed one of the four stories. The other three stories are being directed by Aniruddh, Pradeep Sarkar and Mahesh Manjrekar."

Thrilled at having got an opportunity to work with the ace cinematographer and director Priyadarshan on this film, she said, "The fact that I got to work with Priyan sir is amazing. He is one of the best writers and has done around 200 movies. What I appreciate about him is that he has moved on with the times. He is not stuck in the 1980s or 1990s. He is moving with youngsters and understands what is realistically happening with people today. That's why he is still making movies which are top class."

Talking about her role in the film, she said, "I play a modern-day woman who is from the middle-class. It's basically what happens in her life when she takes up a job in a cafe and she has to leave her marriage. It is what a lot of women are going through right now. Women are in that stage where they are like 'we want more out of life'. Thanks to the Internet, women are learning that they can have a family and a career as well. The men, too, have to move with the times. That is what Priyan has addressed in this film."

The actress says that Priyan sir has finished his story and that the other three directors are working on theirs. "I am guessing it will take another four months for the film to release," she says.

Kumar is currently listening to two scripts — one in Tamil and the other in Telugu. After all, the actress is loved by Telugu audiences as much as she is loved by the Tamil audiences.

In fact, her last film in Telugu PSV Garuda Vega (2017), was a big hit in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Tamil audiences want to see her more often on screen. Point this out to Kumar and she said, "I would love to do more Tamil films and I keep telling people that. I was based in America and now I am moving to Chennai. People think that I am based in America and therefore, not interested. I think I have to break that barrier with them and tell them that I am totally approachable and interested in films here. I want to do good films here."