When a fifth-grader named Athulya Ullas from Samanwaya school asked her teacher to invite Athulya as the next chief guest to a school function, little did she know that the same teacher's words would inspire the rest of her life. "To be the chief guest, you have to be one of the best in your chosen profession. The day you get there, I will invite you to this stage."
These words rang in Athulya's mind and she began looking for the passion that would fuel her to be successful. After trying her hand at many different things, she realized that there were two hobbies she thoroughly enjoyed - acting and dancing. She had been attending dance classes for the past 14 years and teaching dance since she was 10. She felt drawn to various dance forms, her favorite being Bharatanatyam. As she grew up, she realized that she enjoyed acting, expressing emotions, and understanding characters by delving deep into each personality.
Recognizing their daughter's passion, Athulya's parents, who are from a small town called Idukki in Kerala, were very supportive of their daughter's dreams. Her talent and skills helped her win her first opportunity - a chance to appear in a musical album called 'Ormayude Varnangal'. Post the success of her big break, she auditioned for more roles and landed a role in the Malayalam telefilm, ‘Ini Engilum’. However, the movie never saw the light of day. Harboring the dreams of seeing herself in a movie, Athulya relentlessly auditioned while pursuing her education at the same time.
But life was just going to get a bit more difficult as the nationwide lockdown was announced. Despite the challenges, Athulya was looking for a way to showcase her talent to the world. In her quest to do the same, she discovered Moj and found a platform where she could show her skills, learn and grow as an actor. In the days that followed, Athulya uploaded videos consistently and began gaining more followers who encouraged her. In the midst of the lockdown, when she had gone for an audition she met a producer, Mr. JP, in Kattappana. He gave her the contact number of a director Mr.Tijo Thadathil. The director wanted her to audition for one of his movies that would be released on an OTT platform.
With a strict ban on non-essential travel, Athulya was worried about going for the audition. After days of mapping routes and roads to reach the venue, she was struck with an idea! The motive of the audition was to convince the director of her acting abilities. Her Moj profile was the perfect way to prove that, as her acting prowess was clearly visible in her videos. Impressed by her talent, the director offered her a leading role in his film. (name not finalized yet)
Currently, the movie is in the last stages of production and Athulya is waiting for it to be completed. As the movie releases, she intends to show the movie to the teacher who taught her a valuable lesson, the meaning of which, the innocent fifth-grader realized after thirteen years- pursue excellence, fame will eventually follow.
