"They Said I Couldn't, But I Did": Aishwarya Rajesh on Her Rise to Fame

Aishwarya Rajesh is a South India actress who's currently in the peak of her career, pairing up with famous top heroes in the cinema industry. She recently hit the headlines for receiving the Kalaimamani honour. The actress was elated with the recognition after years of hard work.

Despite having no background and losing her father at a young age, she was told she wasn't fit to be an actor because of her dark skin and not being fluent in a certain language. But she didn't let those words discourage her. She paved her own path and proved her naysayers wrong.

"I was not groomed like how a heroine was supposed to look like," said the stunning Aishwarya Rajesh during an all-women panel discussion on gender disparities within the film industry.

"Growing up, I faced discrimination because of my looks, but instead of letting it break me, I used it as fuel to chase my dreams. Acting was her passion and she was determined to prove all the naysayers wrong."

She revealed that her father died when she was 8 years old, and her mother was forced to become the breadwinner of the family. Aishwarya had 3 elder brothers, who were not old enough to support the family at the time. Her mother used to sell sarees door-to-door and on buses, worked as an insurance agent and went into real estate to pay for their education.

"We were all well-educated and mother made sure that we studied in good schools," Aishwarya expressed.

When she was 12 years old, her elder brother commited suicide and another brother passed away in an accident 2 years later. Her mother was heartbroken. Thus, she had to step on their shoes to support her family.

She was promoting products in front of a grocery store when she was in the 11th standard, and was trying her luck in the cinema industry as well.

"I was bodyshamed and sexually harassed in the industry, but I know how to handle them. I was denied opportunities for my skin colour and my ability to speak Tamil," she revealed.

Despite gaining good reviews for her performance in 'Kakka Muttai', she didn't get any opportunities to act with top actors until 'Dharmadurai' and 'Vada Chennai'.