How Tamil heroine Karthika begged on the streets!

Bala is an off-beat director who believes in realistic films. He expects his lead actors to go the whole hog and make it convincing on the big screen.
When he started his magnum opus Njaan Kadavul, it was made clear to its hero Arya, that he should grow his hair long and keep it totally un kept like a swamy. Arya plays a Swami in the film who goes from the temple town of Palani to Varnasi where he gets enlightened.
Similarly the heroine too has a very important role in the film. His first choice was Bhavana, who had to leave the film due to call sheet problem. Then it was Parvathy, who after a days shoot was sent packing because she lacked the look of the character.
Finally he zeroed in on Karthika, a Tamil girl who did a Tamil film Thoothukudi, and was very impressive in the hit song in the film Karuvapaiyya…….Bala liked her looks, and was convinced that she could play the heroines role of the blind beggar woman.
But the director who believes in realism had to be convinced, that Karthika could pull it off. Most of the directors would have gone for a screen test, but the fussy director wanted real life practicals to be conducted! Bala called his make-up man, who transformed Karthika into a dark famished looking beggar woman!
Later Bala called the shabbily dressed still photographer of the film and asked him to accompany Karthika, through the streets of Periyakulam, where the shoot of Njaan Kadavul has started. Karthika and the still photographer wandered along the streets dressed as beggars, and started begging.
After three hours of walking around Periyakulam town, they came back to the hotel looking visibly tired. Nobody recognized them, and people treated them like beggars as they were able to collect Rs 47.50 in small coins, two sambar sadam packets, three bananas in their begging bowl!!
Bala congratulated Karthika, and told her that she has the making of a great actress and will go places. Hats off to Bala and Karthika, it is people like them who makes Tamil films the most happening industry in India.
Courtesy:sify.com