Shraddha Srinath: The rapport I share with Madhavan off-screen comes through on-screen

The actor, who makes her Bollywood debut with Milan Talkies, also has the Shivanna-starrer Rustum, and Maara with Madhavan lined up
Shraddha Srinath: The rapport I share with Madhavan off-screen comes through on-screen

Shraddha Srinath has her hands full, having taken up three projects in three different languages. As she deals with the “work pressure”, the actor is looking at the larger picture, and is not complaining. While she will marks her Bollywood debut with Tigamanshu Dhulia’s Milan Talkies, she also has Shivanna-starrer Rustum, her first commercial film (which marks the directorial debut of Ravi Varma) lined up.

The latest addition to her kitty is a Tamil film with Madhavan. Incidentally, this is her second project with the actor, the first one being Vikram Vedha. Though she had agreed to the project three months ago, she waited for the production house to make an official announcement, which was made on Wednesday. Titled Maara, the film will be directed by newcomer Dhilip Kumar.

Even though Shraddha had worked with Madhavan previously, she says that she had to audition for the role in her second film with him. “I didn’t think twice about taking it up, especially since Maddy (Madhavan) was in it. I am sure the kind of rapport I share with him off-screen comes through on-screen. There are times you look forward to working with someone again, and, for me, this is one of those times,” she says. Maara revolves around a young girl falling in love with an older man, and Shraddha plays a chic, bold and free-thinking girl.

Since she brought up the audition bit, we ask her if it bothered her that she had to take a test to fit the role. She admits that she “hates” auditions, but feels that it keeps actors grounded. “This way, we know that only if we do well, will the role be ours. Many times, we become complacent after a break. There are films that come by anyway, but there are also these films that require us to prove our mettle. At the end of the day, when we bag such films, it feels like we have earned the job,” she says.

She's had different experiences with each industry. “In Mumbai, I am a debutante, an absolute nobody. On the other hand, Shivanna’s film is like home turf, where I feel more comfortable and confident. I’m a different version of myself when I work in Kannada and Tamil films. Each of them gives me a different perspective,” she says.

Shraddha admits it's a challenge to change gears before going to each film’s set. “It’s not the performance or the fact that I have to jump for city to city or even from one set to another. For instance, in Maara, the character is one who is both practical and childlike. She’s nothing like Mythili from Milan Talkies. Again, being back on Rustum's sets requires me to jump into a totally different character,” she says, adding, “This style of working is a whole new experience.”

‘Shivanna’s  is full of energy’
In the three days that Shraddha has shot for Rustum, the actor says that she has spent much time interacting with Shivanna between shots. “The first thing that comes to mind about Shivanna is his humility. I don’t know his exact age, and I’m not going to guess either. He is so youthful and full of energy. He comes up with jokes, and suddenly breaks into a dance. Working with him is fun. As for Ravi Varma, who has been a stunt master for so many years, and is now making his entry as a director, I see a different kind of enthusiasm in him,” she says.

‘Maddy and I have a North India connect’
About Madhavan, she says, “It’s always a yes from my end to a film with Madhavan. Going by the projects he has been picking up--Irudhi Suttru, Vikram Vedha, the Amazon series, or films like Tanu Weds Manu--he is not a run-of-the mill hero. He knows how to excel in the characters he plays, which is what I love about him. Not many know that Maddy and I have a North India connect. Though he is Tamilian, and I am a Kannadiga, we were both raised in North India. So, we speak very good Hindi, and we understand each other well. As an actor, he is very dynamic and gives a natural touch to his performance.”

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