How Thalapathy Vijay Taught Malavika Mohanan Discipline: Here’s What Master Actress Shared

South

actress Malavika Mohanan has impressed fans with her versatile roles. Starting from the Malayalam industry, she has expanded into various other cinemas. Having worked with major South stars like Thalapathy Vijay in Master and Dhanush in Maaran, she has carved out her own space. The newly appointed CM of Tamil Nadu, Thalapathy, has generated excitement not just in the state but nationwide. His demeanour of teaching and empowering is evident both in his roles and as a reason for his election victory. Recently, Malavika reflected on this aspect of Vijay in an interaction.

Malavika Mohanan on learning from co-stars

Malavika Mohanan shared in an exclusive chat with Variety India that her lessons come not just from classes or workshops but from the stars and actors she has worked with. She mentioned Thalapathy Vijay, Mohanlal, and Rajinikanth, from whom she learned about professionalism early in her career. “Some of the most senior actors I've worked with, like Mohanlal, Rajinikanth, and Vijay, are so disciplined," she said. She also explained how they taught her the importance of punctuality and conserving production resources by simply showing up on time. “That's such an important lesson for a young actor,” Malavika reflected.

Vijay and Dhanush's influence on Malavika

Thalapathy Vijay showed her that stardom should never impact one's personal life. Despite his legendary status, his punctuality and discipline inspired her to strive for excellence. It transformed her approach to films and sets. Where Vijay exemplified professionalism and work ethic, Dhanush introduced her to acting techniques. He showed her how to perform for the camera and convey emotions effectively. From using angles and eyes to understanding the importance of these subtleties, he made her realise that without mastering these skills, no matter how good an actor is, their work may fall short. She recalled a scene where she was crying, but Dhanush felt something was off and suggested, “Why don't you internalise the crying?” which ultimately improved the shot, she says.

Malavika Mohanan's work front

Malavika Mohanan recently made her high-profile Telugu debut alongside Prabhas in the horror-comedy The Raja Saab, released in January 2026. She also delivered a powerful, intense performance in Thangalaan, a historical drama now on Netflix. Additionally, she starred with Mohanlal in Hridayapoorvam, a feel-good, family-oriented Malayalam film. The actress also has the Tamil films Sardar 2 and Pocket Novel lined up to release in the coming years.