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Playing cute
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Shriya Saran takes a leap into Hollywood and also has an impressive line-up of films down south, writes K. JESHI
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Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.
Looking ahead Shriya says she chooses her roles based on a host of factors
Actor Shriya Saran has been a part of breezy entertainers in the South. She has made an impressive leap into Hollywood with Ashok Amritraj’s production, “Other End of the Line”.
A romantic comedy, it is based on an employee at an Indian call centre, played by Shriya, who travels to San Francisco to be with a guy she falls for, over the phone. She is paired with Jesse Metcalfe.
Shriya also has a crossover film “What’s Cooking Stella?” to her credit. Written by Deepa Mehta, the film is directed by Dileep Mehta.
Indie darling
“I am really lucky to work with someone like Deepa Mehta. It is an Indo-Canadian film and looks at the treatment meted out to domestic helps in India. A cute film.”
In this light comedy, Shriya is cast with Lisa Ray who plays the Canadian diplomat, with the cook Stella played by Seema Biswas.
“It was a great learning experience. We had a month-long workshop and there was a lot of method acting,” the actor says. Her choice of roles is a blend of instant and method acting.
About choosing roles, she says: “Sometimes I go by my gut feeling, sometimes the banner; it is a mix of everything.”
In Tamil, she has a lot of “cute” films lined up for release. First is a popcorn entertainer, a bilingual titled “Thoranai” in Tamil and “Pista” in Telugu.
“A feel good film with a mix of comedy, action and romance. I play a bubbly role, a girl working in a call centre,” adds the actor.
Keen on the present
Shriya, who was in Bangalore recently to launch Vaseline Healthy White at the Forum Mall, is keen to talk only about the present. So, it is the much-hyped “Kandasamy” which she discusses.
“It is a film that will leave you with a thought,” she explains. The Tamil film stars Vikram in the lead and will be released in Telugu as “Mallanna” and will also have releases in English, Spanish and Italian.
“It deals with economic disparity. I play Subbulakshmi, a rich spoilt brat. Born with power, reality is manipulated for her by people around her. As the movie progresses, she goes through a transformation, emerges as a strong person and understands reality,” she adds.
There is more. “Kutty” with Dhanush (Rajnikanth’s son-in-law), which she describes as a peppy love story, full of life. And “Jaggubhai” with Sarath Kumar.
“It deals with a father-daughter relationship. They spend five days together and the film is about how everything changes after that,” she elaborates.
The actor says she tries to sport a different look in every film. “In ‘Thoranai’, it is a city girl look, a smart working girl. In ‘Kandasamy’, I have cropped my hair to suit the role.”
The actor tasted considerable success in Telugu films too. In Bollywood, there is the recently-released “Ek – The Power of One”, an action film, which is a remake of the Telugu film “Athadu.”
“I give my conviction to every role I play. All of them are my favourites,” she adds.
Ask her about the “Sivaji,” the Rajnikant-starrer, which set new box office records and catapulted her to instant fame, she says: “Well, if you are talking to me now it is only because of Sivaji.”
And Rajnikant? “Simplicity — this one word describes him the best. He is the finest actor, fantastic human being, very simple and down-to-earth. I consider myself very lucky to have worked with him,” she sums up.
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