Lijomol Jose

will play Anna — a newlywed woman who relocates to Chennai from a village — in an upcoming drama titled

Gentlewoman

(previously titled Annapoorni). Its director,

Joshua Sethuraman

, tells us that he wanted to break stereotypes with this title and adds, “I wanted to convey with this title that not just men but women are also gentle. When we say ‘Ladies and gentlemen’ and add the word ‘gentle’ before men alone, I think it becomes sort of a stereotype in itself.”
The filmmaker believes that even though he is addressing issues faced by women through his film, he doesn't want the label that he is fighting their battle. “I don't think I can make a feminist film. I can only address the issue, but I would never say that I’m fighting for women. Because, only a woman can fully know what she is going through,” reveals Joshua.
Talking about his favourite Tamil films that tell the story from a woman’s perspective, Joshua says, “I really like K Balachander films. He is my favourite filmmaker. Also, when we think of making a womencentric film, C Rudraiah’s Aval Appadithan is always mentioned as a reference. I also like Viralukketha Veekkam (1999). I know that film has changed many people’s lives.”
He further shares that Lijomol’s role in the film will be a “complete contrast” to her Jai Bhim character. “We saw her as a very innocent woman in Jai Bhim, but in this film, she plays a different role,” he says.
Apart from Lijomol, Losliya Mariyanesan is also part of the film’s cast. She plays Poorni, a painter who has been brought up in the city. Meanwhile, Hari Krishnan, who has acted in Thangalaan and Paava Kadhaigal, plays Lijomol’s husband, Arvind.