Exclusive | Priyanka Mohan on 'Made in Korea' and Online Trolls: 'A Film Meant For You Will Somehow Find Its Way To You...'

Priyanka Arul Mohan has had a curious couple of years recently. On one hand, she’s been part of successful actioners like They Call Him OG, Saripodhaa Sanivaaram and Captain Miller; blockbusters that paired her with popular leading men and established her as an A-list south Indian star. On the other hand, reports of an organised marketing campaign against her did the rounds, as audiences felt she was being unfairly criticised (and targeted) online for her performances. 

Priyanka maintained a dignified silence through it all; she bounced back with one of the most popular songs last year ('Golden Sparrow' from NEEK) and now, headlines Netflix’s Tamil drama Made in Korea, in which she plays a small-town girl holding on to one wholehearted dream: of travelling to South Korea.

Written and directed by Ra.Karthik, the film follows Priyanka’s character of Shenba, whose obsession with Korean culture and K-dramas sees her unexpectedly land up in Seoul one day, setting off a journey of self-discovery and new relationships.

Sharing screen space with actors such as Park Hye-Jin (of Squid Game fame) and No Ho‑jin, Priyanka has clearly had a blast working on the film, as she talks all things Korean, dealing with noise on social media, and more.

A still from 'Made in Korea'

Seven years since your debut in the industry, you get to front a film as the solo lead in a coming-of-age drama. Does it feel like a milestone, or does it represent something larger about women telling their own stories in cinema?

Actually, people were sending me scripts for a while, but I wanted to do something different. Initially, I was a little skeptical; I wasn’t sure whether audiences would accept me in a certain way, or whether I had achieved enough for people to trust me with a project where they’re investing money and building a film around me.

But when a script like this came my way, I really couldn’t say no. I feel that for many women in the industry, there’s always that one film that can change their graph; I see this film as that opportunity for me.

Through Made in Korea, I got to explore and learn a lot while shooting. So I think it’s the right film for me to start this new phase in my career. 

Have you visited Korea before or watched any K-dramas? What was your perception of Korean culture before making the film?

This was actually my first time going to Korea. Before that, I had watched a couple of K-dramas during the lockdown and I really loved them. But after that I didn’t keep up regularly, mostly because of work.

When this project came to me, I thought I should brush up a little. I started re-watching a few shows and also checked out some new ones. I was curious about why there’s such a big obsession with Korean dramas in India, and why so many people — especially girls — are so crazy about them.

At the same time, I didn’t want to do too much research beforehand. I wanted to discover the culture as I went there and experienced it during the shoot, and found a lot of similarities (with us). That’s when I really understood it better.

Shenba (my character) actually knew much more about Korea than I did.. she’s a big fan! For me, it was a learning process once I went there.

Did you get a chance to learn any Korean during the process? Can you say anything in Korean now, or understand the language better?

After coming back from Korea, I can now actually watch some K-dramas without constantly relying on subtitles. I’m able to understand bits of what they’re saying now.

But if you ask me to form full sentences, I can’t really do that yet! I know a few basic words like Annyeonghaseyo (Hello), Kamsahamnida (Thank you) and some other simple expressions we picked up during the shoot, but I’m still not at the stage where I can speak the language properly.

The reason K-dramas work so well globally is because they’re mostly feel-good and ‘swoon-worthy’ as hardcore fans would put it. Would you say your film also falls into that space emotionally?

The film is really about self-discovery and the bonds the protagonist forms during her journey. It’s very much a slice-of-life story.

It’s about a girl who goes to a different country and what she learns from the people there, and also what she gives back to them. So the heart of the film lies in that experience and those relationships. That’s why I’d describe it mainly as a slice-of-life film.

A still from 'Made in Korea'

You recently addressed the trolling you faced online, and how many actors across generations deal with this now. But do you think it actually affects an actor’s marketability or career, or is it mostly just noise on social media?

Honestly, it does affect you to a certain extent. I wouldn’t say it affects everything, but it does have some impact.

At the same time, I believe that whatever is meant for you will come to you, no matter what. Even if something affects your career or market temporarily or someone tries to pull you down, the work that’s truly meant for you will eventually find its way to you.

If someone genuinely likes you and your work, they will come back to you somehow. If a film is meant for you, it will find its way to you. So I believe that nobody can completely stop someone’s journey or spoil their career. 

What can you tell us about your other upcoming releases?

My film with Kavin and Hemanth Rao’s 666 Operation Dream Theater is up next, and both the films will be released this year. I’m really looking forward to them!

Made In Korea premieres on March 12, on Netflix