STAR
For a girl who had oily hair and wore spectacles when she was growing up in a small town to being voted the `Ultimate Hottie of the South’ in an online poll, Shriya Saran has traversed an eventful path. She’ s an avid reader of Haruki Murakami, practises Vipassana meditation and runs a spa that employs visually challenged people. It’ s difficult to define Shriya, it’ s even more difficult to categorise her. She can be this, that and all things at different times. Some know her as the hard-to-please diva while others will swear that she is the sweetest thing on two feet. So, will the real Shriya Saran please stand up? She responds with her trademark school girl giggle and says,“ I guess I’ m all of them. Don’ t we all behave differently with different people in different circumstances?” Trust her to say it like it is. But people close to her know for a fact that she is quite a simpleton at heart, straight forward, at times self doubting, mostly super confident, loves dressing up, wonders if she’ ll make a good mother, loves her mom, takes life’ s challenges in her stride, is a die-hard romantic, optimistic to a fault, that’ s who she is. And oh so pretty! One of the few actresses who look better off screen sans make up than on it!“ I wasn’ t the prettiest girl in school. I was known more for my dance than my looks when I was growing up,” she remarks.
It’ s been around 15 years since her Telugu debut in Ishtam but,“ It’ s now that I am truly enjoying my work. I feel a strong connection to it,” she says reminiscing,“ Initially, it was all fun and games. Work meant meeting new people, seeing new places, a whole lot of fun. Today, it is a lot more. It is about exploring more characters; it’ s about evolving mentally and spiritually.” Everything she does, she does intensely whether it’ s her meditation, running the spa or facing the camera.“ For me, it’ s all about love and heart. If I don’ t feel deeply for something, I just switch off. Even where my films are concerned. Whenever I didn’ t feel connected to a particular role or film, I didn’ t even bother watching it. They gave me the CDs but no, sorry, I am so stubborn that I refused to watch.” So what goes wrong in such films? Why does she not feel good about those roles?“ Between the writing table and the editing table, a lot happens. Sometimes, things don’ t turn out the way you wish them to. But there’ s no point in the blame game. Sometimes you go wrong, sometimes somebody else goes wrong. Honestly, you can sense on the 2nd or 3rd day of the shooting that something is not right. That’ s when the disconnect happens. But you know it’ s a part of our profession. You live and you learn,” she says philosophically.
What does acting mean to her?“ It’ s my life. Acting has been like going to school for me. Sometimes I have learnt a lot, at times I haven’ t. Every film has taught me something though. I am so, so indebted to South films. They have given me my identity, my profession, success, name and fame.”
Any people instrumental in making things happen for her?“ Yes. Yes. Vikram and Raj, my first directors, Rajinikanth & Shankar for Shivaji, Nishikant Kamat and Ajay Devgn for Drishyam, in fact all my co stars, producers, long list. But most importantly Nagarjuna. He picked me up from nowhere for his film. His house is an open house for me. I know both his sons well. Amala is also my friend. She is the one who introduced me to Vipassana.”
16 LULU HAPPINESS FEB-MAR‘ 17