Is it true that you play a Tamil Brahmin girl in Sivaji , and that Rajini falls for your Tamilness?

I play a Tamil girl, yes, and that is all I am allowed to say.But your contract with (director) Shankar is over.Yes, but the element of surprise is needed, we can’t snatch that away from the audience. Even producer Guhan used to ask me if I have seen the rushes (he hasn’t either), and the fact is none of us has. That way the film will be a magical unveiling for me as well.

People say you are very intelligent and that Neruda and Paulo Coelho are some of your daily companions. Why did you want to become an actor, considering the scope of the film heroine?

Actually, I am the kind of person who becomes what you tell me to on the sets. If you say I am an idiot, I transform into that, and if you say I am just arm candy, I become that. It comes naturally to me.

Did Rajini’s image intimidate you? Were you nervous?

No I was not. In fact I used to walk up to him, and rib him saying, “Look you are a Super Star, you should walk like this (mimes a strut) and behave like that,” and Rajini would look all innocent and say, “You mean I should do it like this?” In turn, Rajini would pull my leg by saying in front of Shankar , “I read what you said about Sivaji,” and Shankar would go “you... you...” at me, and I used to say, “No I never spoke to anybody,” and Rajini would be in splits.

He is great fun to be with, you know. He is so chilled out. You know, he has seen my old films (Telugu and Tamil) in a theatre in Bangalore. He says the only way to watch a film is to go to a theatre, and he has mastered the trick of dressing up like an ordinary person and going to the theatre.

What was it like working with the Super Star?

He would land up 15 minutes ahead of the others for the shoot. He has no hang-ups, and he’ll walk up to you and say hello. He never wears this, “Look I am Rajinikanth’’ tag.

Politics, business, management, films or spirituality, Rajini knows a lot about all these, and you know you are lucky to get so close to such a person. He has this amazing sense of humour.

He would suddenly say, “I don’t know anything about this subject, I am giving everyone 24 hours. Try and find out all you can.” All of us would scramble around and rush to tell him, and there he would be sitting, laughing mischievously. This happened many times.

What is Shankar like on the sets?

feb07_25cinema1.jpg(Laughs) Look, he sends you the cheque the minute the schedule is over, okay? He mails the script to you a week before your shooting schedule, so you have lots of time to soak up the sequence, master the dialogues, and absorb the nuances of the role. He knows exactly when you should peak in a scene.

In an emotional scene if I had to cry, he would say, hold it, don’t let go as yet, raise your emotions a little more. And it worked brilliantly. He is a great editor himself, and of course, he does not let anyone see the rushes. But he has an amazing sense of the film, and attention to detail. He used to know what costumes would suit me, right down to the colour, size and shape of my bindi.

You are supposed to have a good costume sense yourself.

Yes, I chose my costumes myself for Thiruvilayadal Aarambam and I am trying to decide on what would look good in the song sequences of Vijay’s Azhagiya Tamizhmagan.




Do you think there is enough to do for a heroine in Tamil action films?

You know what Shah Rukh Khan said on KBC? “Nobody tells you if a film is good or bad. They only say... ok, or nice.” Each one’s taste is different. I think Tamil films offer enough within the scope. But yes, I would love to do an art film, a serious film.

What about the professional rivalry between heroines?

Today I may have a film with Vijay. Tomorrow someone else might be the heroine. We actors are like everyone else, you know. We bump into each other often, and we are pretty friendly.

Trisha and I are very pally. She knows everything about my life. Jyotika and I acted in Telugu together and she is such a warm, funny person. Nayan dropped in on the sets of Sivaji once and I thought she was absolutely cool. I have met Asin only once, but my mom is a great fan of hers, and no one is allowed to change channels when Asin is on.

And boyfriends?

I am not dating anyone seriously now, but I have many friends I relax with. There is so much I want to do in films, not just in front of the camera alone, and all that will take years. I plan to be around (grins).

What’s the status on the Bobby Deol film? It is said that some of the Kollywood heroines fail the screen test for Bollywood because of their skin tone. What about you?

Work will start on the Bobby Deol film in the next few days, and it will be wrapped up soon. About skin tone, I’ve been lucky so far. Even before I brush my teeth I dab on a honey and besan face pack and wash it off. I eat well, but healthy. And I work out. That takes care of everything.

Courtesy: As told to Bhama Devi Ravi. New Ind Press