Latest news with #Tarunika
Indian Express
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
What will Priyamani's life look like 10 years from now? Good Wife actor shares her dream for the future: ‘If God and my family are willing…'
'10 years from now, when you look back, how do you want your life and career to be,' we asked Priyamani. In her two-decade career, she has done a wide range of roles, winning both critical and commercial acclaim. She's not just been Saira Rahim in Maidaan (2024), Chief Minister Dakshayani in Custody (2023), Suchitra Tiwari in The Family Man (since 2019), Lakshmi in Jawan (2023), and the dancer in Chennai Express' (2013) song '1 2 3 4 Get on the Dance Floor'. She has also earned widespread appreciation for her performances in works like Paruthiveeran (2007), which brought her a National Film Award for Best Actress, Thirakkatha (2008), Pranchiyettan and the Saint (2011) and Chaarulatha (2012), among others. But when SCREEN asked her this question during an exclusive interview, Priyamani's answer was simple and straightforward, just like her. No embellishments, no castles in the air. 'I want to feel satisfied and happy that I got to work on some wonderful projects. And hopefully, if God and my family are willing, I will continue to work.' Nonetheless, she also shared a dream she hopes will come true someday. 'Even otherwise, I might don a director's hat and sit behind the camera at least once, to see how life is on that side.' Though she has had this dream for two decades, working with legendary actor-turned-director Revathy, and seeing so many women step into that role, compelled her even more. As their latest Tamil legal drama series, Good Wife, an adaptation of the American show The Good Wife, is now out, Priyamani shares when this dream first emerged. 'I have had this desire for a while now, probably since the time I worked with Balu Mahendra sir in Adhu Oru Kana Kaalam (2005). He was the first one to teach me (the technical aspects), though I didn't understand much about it back then. But seeing a lot of lovely women directing these days, it has definitely given me hope that one day I might. Let's see, fingers crossed,' she says. Although this is not the first Indian adaptation The Good Wife has received — the 2024 Hindi series The Trial, starring Kajol, was also based on the American original created by Robert and Michelle King — Priyamani attests that the Tamil iteration has taken creative liberties to become more than just another remake. 'There are certain aspects that are quite similar to the Hindi and the original versions, like the scandal, the female lead's life turning upside down, her coming back to work and getting a job again at a law firm,' she admits, adding, 'But apart from that, everything else is changed.' Priyamani explains that the Tamil show also tries to explore the psyche of the two children of the central couple, Tarunika (Priyamani) and Gunaseelan (Sampath Raj), who too are emotionally ravaged by the scandal surrounding their father. 'Since the kids are as much affected as Tarunika is, Good Wife has looked into that aspect too, showing how the kids' lives are impacted, including at school. There's a rebellious side from the boy. At the same time, there's another side from the girl, because at the end of the day, girls are always closer to their fathers and boys to their mothers, right? We have shown that as well. (Even amid all the chaos) The daughter is still quite close to her father and misses him. She still listens to his audio tapes and watches his videos. Whereas the boy is more worried about his mother and sister. But as he gradually understands where his mother is coming from and that she's now a single parent raising them on her own, he comes to see what she's going through. The show touches upon such dynamics as well,' the actor says. She adds, 'The series also focuses on the relationship between Tarunika and her mother-in-law. At the end of the day, it's her son who is behind bars. Besides all this, Tarunika also has to ensure that at least a day goes by without any problems while trying to prove herself during her six-month probationary period at work. So it also looks at her attempts to strike a balance between the professional and the personal. All those factors really worked for me, and that's what drew me to Good Wife. And the icing on the cake was that Revathy ma'am was directing it, and Hotstar had taken it up. It was a win-win situation for me.' A post shared by JioHotstar Tamil (@jiohotstartamil) Interestingly, this isn't the first time she worked with director Revathy. Priyamani also played a key role in her previous directorial venture, Salaam Venky (2022). So, what does Revathy excel at more, acting or directing? Priyamani answers, 'She's equally a fabulous actor and a fantastic director. Since she's an actor too, when she's directing, she understands the point of view of an actor as well. She knows what's needed and what isn't, what can be tapped, how to go about getting the required performance, what's comfortable and what's not. She was an absolute pleasure to work with. She's already proven herself as both an actor and a director with so many projects. I think she excels in both.' Anandu Suresh is a Senior sub-editor at Indian Express Online. He specialises in Malayalam cinema, but doesn't limit himself to it and explores various aspects of the art form. He also pens a column titled Cinema Anatomy, where he delves extensively into the diverse layers and dimensions of cinema, aiming to uncover deeper meanings and foster continuous discourse. Anandu previously worked with The New Indian Express' news desk in Hyderabad, Telangana. You can follow him on Twitter @anandu_suresh_ and write (or send movie recommendations) to him at ... Read More
Time of India
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Good Wife Season 1 Review: Priyamani's legal drama plays by the rules, but needs more depth
Synopsis: When her husband is caught in a sex scandal, Tarunika, an advocate-turned-homemaker steps up to take action Review: Good Wife has a few moments that make you pause, reflect, and stay hooked to the screen – but therein lies the problem. While the standalone moments are intriguing in parts, the series is superficially dealt with as a whole. Packed within a legal setup where every case is quite strange, the series also takes us closely through the mind of Tarunika (Priyamani), whose husband, Additional Advocate General Gunaseelan (Sampath), is sent to jail. Having left her legal career behind after marriage, Tarunika unpacks her black coat after 16 years to return to the courtroom. But the world has changed and so is her life – she's now a mother of two teens, her husband is in jail, and his scandal has also pushed her to become the gossip of the town. On top of that, she also has a new job where she is again a newbie! Layered on to this are unusual cases – like young girls being forced to freeze eggs – and some workplace battles – a judgy boss, an ex-lover & competitive colleagues. So, there's a lot happening, both in Tarunika's life and in Good Wife, an adaptation of the American series The Good Wife. On paper, the series has several intriguing threads waiting to be picked up. But as the series wanders through anything and everything, you only get snapshots, before we jump onto the next interesting case. Eventually, despite the intrigue, everything just feels like yet another case & yet another person. So while you care for Tarunika, you're not equally invested or moved by the cases she handles. You are told too much about each case in too little time, while still focusing on her personal hurdles that everything sounds like information minus the emotional heaviness it carries. Priyamani is fine as Tarunika, anchoring the series even when the writing falters. What works beautifully in the series is the personal struggles and how a strong sense of the female gaze is felt throughout. Take, for instance, the scene where her mother-in-law takes the children to visit their jailed father despite Tarunika's wishes. Now, when Tarunika learns about this, she has a conversation with her mother-in-law, and you get to see two women, two mothers wanting to keep their children happy – a nuanced moment of silence and shared emotion echoes several things in this sequence. A similar emotional depth comes through in Tarunika's interactions with her children, as they struggle to cope with the aftermath of their father's scandal. Such layered writing draws you in at times, as does the unusual premise of the legal cases, but you wish these were more than just fleeting moments. Written By: Harshini SV
Mint
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Good Wife OTT release date: Priyamani's Tamil web series starts streaming; check how to watch it online
Good Wife is a Tamil web series starring Priyamani and directed by Revathy. It is an official adaptation of the American show, The Good Wife. The story follows Priyamani's character, Tarunika Gunaseelan, who returns to her career as a lawyer after her husband gets trapped in a legal case. As the family faces public scrutiny, she fights to protect both her professional life and her family's name. The series mixes courtroom drama with emotional family struggles. Priyamani, known for her powerful roles in movies and OTT web series, plays the lead. Priyamani has recently worked with a number of Bollywood movies like Article 370, Maidaan and Shah Rukh Khan's Jawan. Her Hindi movie debut was in Raavan, directed by y Mani Ratnam. She made a special appearance in Chennai Express and danced along with SRK in One Two Three Four. Hindi OTT viewers know her as Suchitra Tiwari in the massively-popular web series, The Family Man. She plays the wife of Srikant Tiwari, played by Manoj Bajpayee. She won Filmfare OTT Awards Best Actor, Drama Series (Female) – Critics Choice for the Amazon Prime Video show. The Good Wife cast also includes Sampath Raj, Aari Arjun and Halitha Shameem. Good Wife has been released on OTT. JioHotstar started streaming the Tamil web series on July 4. It is also available in six other languages, including Hindi, Telugu and Malayalam. All six episodes were released at the same time. As per the official description, here's how the episodes will progress. After her husband Gunaseelan is jailed due to a leaked sex tape, Tarunika restarts her law career to support her family. The series follows her courtroom battles, moral dilemmas and emotional challenges across six episodes. Tarunika handles cases involving school crimes, banned clinics and complex surgeries, all while balancing her personal struggles. As her relationship with Hari rekindles and Guna returns on bail, tensions rise. In the end, a major twist leaves Tarunika shocked.
