It is a poignant moment when Cha Se-Eum (Lee Young-ae) steps on stage. Her gaze is unrelenting as she twirls her conductor’s baton; the concerto unfurls heavy notes of ambition, deceit and desire. Studio Dragon, which has headlined popular hits such as The Glory and Celebrity, brings the Korean adaptation of the French show Philharmonia in Maestra: String of Truth. Popular South Korean star Lee Young Ae plays Cha Se Eum, a world-renowned conductor who has risen to fame in a field which is dominated by men. She has not only defied patriarchy but is a formidable force whose talent and charisma are a rarity. In an exclusive interview with The Indian Express from Seoul, the actor says the contradictions in Cha Se-Eum were what made it exciting for her to play the character. “Cha Se-Eum has risen to the top in a male-dominated society. One would imagine her to be more sympathetic, and since she is so passionate about her work, she would be strong and rigorous. However, she is way more conflicted and complex than anyone else, and that's what made her so appealing to play as an actress,” she says. Indian Express Entertainment is now on WhatsApp Channels. Follow us for the latest news, interviews, reviews, photos and more. However, the actor admits the show is very different from the original, and learning the violin and conducting simultaneously was a daunting task for her. “It is a longer series than the original, and we have woven other stories into the narrative as well. It is a love story, and it was fun to listen to various musical pieces and watch the conducting. However for me, it was hard to learn to play the violin and conduct for the first time. It was physically demanding, but I loved it so much that I was sorry when the show came to an end. As a conductor, I wanted to express Se-eum's genius ability, not just her technique, her ability to read every sound of the orchestra members.” Lee Young-ae is known to portray strong and driven women on screen. The actor says her process in selecting parts has changed ever since she got married and became mother to twins. “Same parts and the images portrayed are not fun. The driving factor has always been that it should interest me. I am always looking for something new and challenging, whether it's the content, the role, or the director. Now that I am married and a mother of children, my aim is to do projects that make a positive impact on society.” Having made her debut in 1993 with the drama Hows Your Husband, it was her 2001 romantic melodrama One Fine Spring Day, which remains an all-time timeless classic for her fans. As South Korean content witnesses an exponential rise worldwide, topping viewing charts and leading to large-scale investments in production, Lee Young Ae confesses it is a moment of pride for her, and it has lead to greater synergy amongst talent across the world. “In 2000, my drama Fireworks was popular in Asia, including China and Japan, and in 2003, Dae Jang Geum garnered great attention from people around the world. It was very rewarding to see that people around the world wanted to know more about Korean food, culture, and history through Dae Jang Geum, and the interest of foreigners in Director Park Chan-wook's film Sympathy for Lady Vengeance gave me an opportunity to attend the Berlin International Film Festival as a jury member. I even got to meet famous Indian directors and heard about Indian films. I am grateful and happy that my Instagram has become a space where people from all over the world, including Indians, can communicate with each other as K-content, including music, has become more popular.“ With India being one of the biggest consumers of South Korean content, Lee Young-ae reveals she has been a regular visitor to the country. In 1999, she even filmed a show in the Thar Desert. Being a fan of Indian content, she reveals she was even given an opportunity to star in an Indian film. “I became interested in Indian films post my stint as a jury member at the Berlin Film Festival in 2006. My husband is a big fan of Indian films, and I even got a movie offer from India, and we met in Korea. I have been to India a few times before for filming and received a lot of hospitality, which I am grateful for. I would like to travel to India again, this time with my family”.
