‘Being a Tamil speaking actress has its own advantages’

Priya Bhavani Shankar is already a household name across the state with just two films to her name —Meyaadha Maan and Kadaikutty Singam that have made her a darling of the masses. She believes that her upcoming release Monster will be another film that will take her closer to the audience. “I listen and visualise stories like they do. As an audience, I’d like to watch certain films and there are characters in Tamil cinema that remain close to my heart. So, when I listen to scripts, I ask myself will this character be likeable on the big screen?” she begins. Five minutes into the conversation, we realise that the actress isn’t someone who minces words. “The process doesn’t end there. After listening to the story, I look at the team; especially, the production houses. I sign the movie only when a decent banner is bankrolling the project. There are quite a few producers in Tamil cinema, who do not compromise with creativity. A good production house can even make a mediocre story look good. There are bad production houses too that end up making a mess of a brilliant storyline. That way, Monster is a good story that is produced by a company like Potential Studios, who have funded several author-backed movies,” she adds.

As Priya gets going about the film, she clarifies that Monster doesn’t belong to the fantasy genre. “It is a comedy film. It is about a man’s tryst with a mouse in his house. SJ Suryah sir’s reaction to scenes where he deals with the mouse is something to watch out for. I play a girl, who he thinks can be of a monetary aide for him. My character will take the story forward. Karunakaran also plays an important role in the film. The story revolves around these four characters and it will make for a laugh riot,” she smiles.

Be it Meyaadha Maan or Kadaikutty Singam, the audience has lauded Priya’s ability to remain natural on screen with her girl-next-door looks. “I believe that has given me the visibility in a short span of time. If you think that I looked natural and relatable in Kadaikutty Singam or Meyaadha Maan, wait for Monster. Director Nelson didn’t want anything from me but remain at my natural best,” muses the actress. Having started her career as a news anchor, she is one among half a dozen heroines in Tamil, who can speak the language. “It has its own pros and cons. Producers tend to cast heroines from the north because they look at the commercial aspect of a film, which is fair from their perspective. Heroines from the north have always carried the dream girl image for the audience in Tamil Nadu,” Priya opens up. The actress, who is paired with Dulquer Salmaan in Vaan also has a sitcom produced by K Balachander’s Kavithalaya Productions. “That’s a territory which we haven’t explored yet. Sitcoms are a hit in the US. I wonder how the audience will adapt to it here.” Priya also has Kuruthi Aatam with Atharvaa lined up for release.