Exclusive - Lekha Washington on the artistic journey from an actor and life with actor Imran Khan

Lekha Washington

Actress Lekha Washington has successfully transitioned into a thriving artist, exploring themes of nature and abstraction through her artwork. In an exclusive interview with Moneycontrol, Lekha spoke about her inspirations, creative process, and experiences that have shaped her artistic journey.

Lekha Washington says her artwork is fueled by her belief that the universe is the original creator, and as artists, they are merely mirrors of the world around them.

She also aims to bridge the gap between the natural world and the actual world, bringing attention back to nature itself. Her creative process is driven by innovation and a desire to try new things, never repeating the same piece twice.

One of her most memorable experiences was creating the second moon for the 'Burning Man' event in 2018, which was witnessed by 75,000 people. This installation allowed her to showcase her art on a large scale, and she hopes to continue creating at scale in the future, integrating performance and installation with honesty and integrity.

Lekha Washington revealed that when she was in her film school, she asked ace director Mani Ratnam for advice, and he asked her to watch international films and experience cinema beyond just making it. She also recalls valuable lessons from director RS Prasanna, who taught her the importance of prioritizing and learning to say no to things that are not essential.

As an actress, Lekha Washington has had a successful career in Tamil and Telugu cinema. She is currently dating Bollywood actor Imran Khan. And for the first time she talked about her relationship with any publication, and she chose Money Control for it.

She told us: 'In this cynical world, to live and grow together with someone whilst being mutually madly in love is a rare gift. It is also hard work. The part that I cherish the most is our ability to talk things through and evolve into, hopefully, better versions of ourselves. The excellent posterior is a bonus!'

Despite her privilege, she remains humble and grateful for the opportunity to make a living from her art and performances. Her authenticity and dedication to her craft shine through in her artwork, making her a talented and inspiring artist to watch.

Lekha also featured in the Mastery Series by Stonex, it was a guide through her intricate world.

Excerpts from the interview: 

Exploring themes of nature and abstraction

I think that the universe is the original creator, and there is absolute wonder and phantasmagoria in it. And as artists, we are merely mirrors of the world around us. Especially now when there is so much separateness between the natural world and the world that we live in, I hope to bridge that gap and bring back attention to nature itself.

Difference between art and acting 

The differences between art and acting, I feel, they complement each other substantially because both of them are creative pursuits, and art is a solo journey, whereas acting is a group exercise. Even in terms of time, you know, sometimes there are huge pauses between projects, as well as art can be a flexible basis. My own intention is self-driven. So they complement each other both practically as well as emotionally for me.

About her signature style 

In fact, I think my signature style is to try different things every time. I don't really like doing the same piece or repeat of the same thing because my mind is fairly inclined towards innovation, and I have an excess number of ideas that I really don't know what to do with. So, really, it's just about me trying to get as many of those ideas out into the world as I possibly can.

Talks about the MIGHTY second moon 

The second moon for Burning Man in 2018 was the most fantastic of journeys because I thought I was taking a tiny little piece. A moon that rotated and became and disappeared and became different phases of it based on the wind, and that flew high up in the sky. But somehow, the Burning Man's space allowed for this to be witnessed by 75,000 people. And, it literally was like there was another moon in the sky. So it just was every artist's dream being truly appreciated for something that you create. I will cherish that forever in my heart as a real validation of the kind of work that I do.

Life with Imran Khan 

In this cynical world, to live and grow together with someone whilst being mutually madly in love is a rare gift. It is also hard work. The part that I cherish the most is our ability to talk things through and evolve into, hopefully, better versions of ourselves. The excellent posterior is a bonus!

Hopes to integrate performance and installation 

I hope that in the future, I have the opportunity to create the kind of ideas in my head at scale. I believe that they're all complementary in terms of the kind of work that I do, and I hope to integrate both performance and installation and create as big as possible with an honesty and integrity that I see seldom.

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Following Mani Ratnam's advice 

When I was a fledgling film student. I was on the sets of a Mani Ratnam film, and I asked him. I said, Should I go to film school, or should I just join the industry? And he told me the best thing you can do is actually go to film school because that's where you get to watch all the international films. Even over and above actually making cinema, you will get to experience it. And so that's what I did. I went to film school because of Manisar. I don't know if you'll remember this incident or not. And I did get to watch a tremendous amount of international cinema, besides which I also got to make a couple of my own films.

How RS Prasanna taught her to prioritize things 

So I was very excited about that. Separate from that, I remember RS Prasanna, who was the director of my film, Kalyana Samyel Sadam, who has also, in fact, directed Taare Zameen Par 2 with Aamir in the future. I think it's coming out. Anyway, RS Prasanna had a word or two to say when I was around during the promotions of Kalyana Samayal Saadham. When he was talking about priorities for me, which is something that he will definitely remember, he taught me how to prioritize the things that are important to me and to learn to say no to the things that are polite. This was a very important lesson for me.

Lucky to be able to create 

I'm very lucky in the sense that I'm in a position of extreme privilege, being that I can make or create the things that I want to and make a living off of it. So I don't take this privilege lightly. I do my best to be authentic and true in terms of my artwork as well as any performance that I would engage with. And, I'm constantly grateful for this privilege in life.

Lekha's new work “Dhaarti aur aasman” is scheduled for 2025.

Lekha recently made an appearance on Mastery - Journey of Excellence, a prestigious documentary series by Stonex India, now streaming on Hotstar.

The series celebrates the Masters of the 7 Fine Arts, honoring their remarkable contributions and relentless dedication to their crafts. Through powerful storytelling, Mastery offers a rare glimpse into the lives and creative processes of these extraordinary individuals.

As part of the series, Lekha shared her journey, offering insights into her work and inspirations. The launch of Mastery by Stonex India was particularly special, as she also unveiled a new dimension of her artistry with her first-ever poetry recital—a bold step into an exciting new creative avenue.

The series not only shines a light on her evolving craft but also underscores her place among the celebrated Masters featured in this tribute to excellence.