Fuelled by these words, Payal made her comeback onscreen after a couple of years with RS Durai Senthilkumar’s Leaderheadlined by business magnate-turned-actor Legend Saravanan. Although the role had limited screen time, Payal made a significant impact in Leader. “See, I understand that the film is pivoted around him, and that is okay. What’s important is that a successful film can give recognition to many involved in the project,” says Payal, who considers this her proper debut in the language despite having made her debut in Iruvar Ullam (2021), a direct-to-OTT release. Having made her feature film debut in Punjabi with Channa Mereyaa remake of the iconic Marathi film SiratPayal has also starred in Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada films. “I have worked in many industries, and language has been a challenge, but not a barrier. Language is all about practice. The more you practice, the more you’ll become comfortable with it. Every language has a rhythm and a tonality. I enjoy listening to Tamil, and I think it is like a lullaby for me,” says Payal, who asserts that she is a one-take actor even if it is in her non-native language. “There’s a process. I’ll write the meanings of different words, then practice them until I get them right. If you put me in a situation where I am uncomfortable, or there is discomfort with the lines, my best performance comes out.”
While many other actors, who are working in languages new to them, aren’t really putting the same effort into both lip-syncing and learning the lines with the same fervour, Payal isn’t exactly flooded with offers that many of her contemporaries get. In fact, she is often referred to as an ‘underrated’ actor. “You know, all we do is feel bad about ‘underrated’ actors. Some comments go, ‘Why are you not coming to Telugu films…’ The reason is simple: I am not receiving a lot. People seem to be intimidated by me. I’ll wait for the right project. If it falls into place, good… otherwise, I will try to make it on my own,” says a confident Payal.
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