Aishwarya Lakshmi has opened up about how the failure and subsequent trolling surrounding the 2023 Malayalam film ‘King Of Kotha’ affected her career and confidence. The actress revealed that the film’s poor reception resulted in fewer opportunities in Malayalam cinema and even made her question whether she could work with co-star Dulquer Salmaan again.

Aishwarya Lakshmi on the failure of ‘King Of Kotha’

During a conversation with television presenter Ranjini Haridas on her YouTube channel, Aishwarya said the debacle of ‘King Of Kotha’ made filmmakers hesitant to cast her.According to the actress, the trolling that followed the film’s release also had a significant impact on her confidence. She admitted that repeated criticism of her performance and dialogue delivery made her wonder whether some of the negative comments were justified.“King of Kotha came amid huge hype in 2023. But after that, it felt like the Malayalam industry was afraid to cast me anymore. Not just me; Dulquer and the film’s crew also faced trolls. My acting and dialogue delivery were all trolled. But many times, I have also felt that what they say is right,” she said.

Aishwarya reveals she turned down an ad with Dulquer Salmaan

Aishwarya also recalled how the trolling affected her willingness to work with Dulquer again. She revealed that she once turned down a commercial in which she was supposed to appear alongside the actor.The actress said she was particularly affected by comments mocking the way she addressed Dulquer as “Rajuvetta” in ‘King Of Kotha’. She recalled an incident during the shooting of ‘Hello Mummy’ (2024), when an assistant director reportedly made fun of her over it.“Many people made fun of me for the way I called Dulquer ‘Rajuvetta’ in the film. It hurt me deeply when an assistant director (AD) called me that and made fun of me during the shooting of Hello Mummy (2024). Like that, many things happened,” she said.She further revealed that when an advertisement featuring her and Dulquer was offered to her, she became concerned that the collaboration could trigger further trolling.“After that, I had an ad shoot coming up with Dulquer. But I told the team, ‘The repercussions have been terrible; it will be trouble for you.’ I don’t think I can work with Dulquer anymore. Such trolls have affected me that much,” she added.

More about ‘King Of Kotha’

Helmed by Abhilash Joshiy in his directorial debut, ‘King Of Kotha’ featured Dulquer Salmaan and Aishwarya Lakshmi in the lead roles. The gangster drama also starred Shabeer Kallarakkal, Prasanna, Gokul Suresh, Nyla Usha and Chemban Vinod Jose.The film, which arrived in theatres amid considerable hype, faced heavy criticism and trolling following its release, with the performances of its lead actors also coming under scrutiny.Made on a reported budget of Rs 50 crore, ‘King Of Kotha’ reportedly earned Rs 31.35 crore worldwide, according to Sacnilk.