Actress Malavika Mohanan has shared a story about co-star Trisha Krishnan that she says has stayed with her since the shooting of Petta, calling the senior actress’s behaviour toward her during the film “very rare” in an industry where most people “keep to themselves.”

Malavika, who made her Tamil debut with Karthik Subbaraj’s Petta starring Rajinikanth, recalled that she was an absolute newcomer when she arrived on set for her portions, which were filmed on the outskirts of Varanasi. She had a few days of shooting and some combination scenes with Trisha.

“When I was working on Petta, I had shot for a few days and had some combinations with Trisha. At that point, I was an absolute newcomer. It was my first Tamil film. I had done a few films like Beyond the Clouds but I hadn’t done any big films or commercial films,” Malavika said in an interview with SS Music

What she did not expect was the senior actress going out of her way to include her. Trisha, who by 2019 had been one of Tamil and Telugu cinema’s biggest names for nearly two decades, could have easily kept to herself between shots. Instead, she did the opposite.

“Trisha was so sweet to me. She made me feel extremely comfortable. She would make a lot of plans, have conversations and involve me in everything,” Malavika said. “We were shooting on the outskirts of Varanasi and staying at the same hotel. She would make plans, hang out and make sure I was involved. She was so genuine in everything she did.”

Malavika said the behaviour stood out precisely because it is uncommon in the film industry, where seniority and hierarchy often determine who talks to whom on set. “What she did was very rare. Most people would just keep to themselves and think, ‘Why do I have to be nice to everyone?’ But she was genuinely warm and welcoming,” she said.

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The story did not end with the Petta shoot. Months later, when Malavika signed Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Master opposite Vijay, Trisha reached out personally to congratulate her. “After a few months, when I signed Master, she messaged me, ‘Hey Babe, I’m so happy for you. This is huge. Congratulations!'” Malavika recalled. “It takes a big heart to do that.”

The comment carries particular weight given the context. Master, which released in January 2021, became a Rs 200 crore blockbuster and transformed Malavika’s career. Before it, she was known primarily for Majid Majidi’s Beyond the Clouds and a small role in Petta.

Malavika made her acting debut with the Malayalam film Pattam Pole opposite Dulquer Salmaan, a role she landed after Mammootty noticed her on a shoot her father, cinematographer K.U. Mohanan, was working on. Her career has since spanned Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada and Telugu cinema, with recent credits including Hridayapoorvam with Mohanlal, The Raja Saab with Prabhas and Sardar 2 with Karthi.

Trisha, who debuted in 1999 and has appeared in over 60 films across Tamil and Telugu cinema, has been consistently praised by younger actresses for her approachability on set. Her recent filmography includes Ponniyin Selvan: I and II, Leo with Vijay, and Suriya’s Karuppu.