Actor Jyotika has had a long and stellar career in Indian cinema. After starting out as a teenager in the Hindi film Doli Saja Ke Rakhna, she found success in Tamil cinema, winning both fans and acclaim. At 27, she decided to step away from films to raise a family, and returned eight years later. In a chat with Hindustan Times, the actor reflects on the years away and the trepidation she felt when she returned in front of the camera.
Jyotika reminisces about her return to acting
Jyotika was 27 when she married her co-actor Suriya and decided to step away from films in 2006. She completed her pending projects and then signed no films till 2013. Her comeback was with 36 Vayadhinile (At The Age of 36) in 2015. “When you leave the camera for eight years and get back, there is definitely a nervousness. It does feel that way (starting all over again),” she says, talking about her return. “And then Tamil has always been a language I have to constantly learn.”
‘There is no budget for anyone else’
Her comeback was special for another reason. 36 Vayadhinile marked the return of women-led films in Tamil cinema, a genre that had almost stopped for a while. “I re-entered Tamil films, and in the eight years (when I was away), there weren’t many female-led films made. That time, I did 36 Vayadhinile, and Nayanthara did Maaya. Both these films ran, and it was after quite a gap that such films came,” recalls Jyotika. And it was baptism by fire for the actor, she adds. “When we headline those films, it’s always us because there is no budget for anyone else. It’s a lot of work.” 36 Vayadhinile reportedly had a budget of just ₹5 crore.
The film was a success, recovering its budget easily and also winning several awards for Jyotika. The actor has since appeared in several Tamil and a handful of Malayalam and Telugu films. In 2024, she returned to Hindi films after 26 years with Shaitaan, and the following year, made her streaming debut with Dabba Cartel. The actor is now set to appear in the legal drama, System.
Jyotika’s upcoming film
System stars Jyotika as a court stenographer and Sonakshi Sinha as a public prosecutor. The film also features Ashutosh Gowariker as a top defence lawyer, who happens to be Sonakshi’s character’s father. The film, directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and written by Harman Baweja, will release on Amazon Prime Video on May 22.