Chandhini Tamilarasan broke into the film industry as a lead with Siddhu +2 in 2010. Fifteen years later, the actor says she is currently in the most creatively satisfying phase of her career. “The film industry is in the most healthy phase now. Today, there is no shelf life for an actor. If you look the part, and if you are persistent enough, you can get any kind of role." Looking back at the early years of her career, Chandhini says she went from being extremely picky to then prioritising visibility. "At one point in time, I thought I had to keep doing films. People said I needed visibility, so I took supporting roles in big films, but I realised that I was not happy with my choices that way. Later, I realised that versatility is more important than worrying about visibility or being picky," says Chandhini, who is seen in her first cop role in Netflix's The Game, which also marks her foray into OTT.

While Chandhini stresses the importance of versatility, she also points to how, unless you are an A-lister, actor's rarely get to choose the kind of roles offered to them. "Actors have very minimal control over the kind of roles offered to them," she says, before adding that there is a bigger issue than control. "Nobody talks about this, but for an actor, the toughest part of the job is waiting for an offer. Sometimes you might wait a month, six months, or even years. But you have to be strong in your conviction and wait for the right kind of roles. If you give in to the pressure and take up everything that comes your way, you might get stereotyped into certain types of roles."

However, this hard-won wisdom comes from a number of regrets and wrong turns. "I was lucky to get noticed by a veteran director like Bhagyaraj sir for my debut, at such a young age. But I think I failed to capitalise on the momentum of my early years. I underestimated the importance of marketing yourself. I didn't take social media seriously at a time when it was important for an actor to do so. Around 2015, I was in talks for a film, but I found out that they chose a social media influencer over me. That's when I realised that your follower count is more important than your experience." With decades of observing the film industry, Chandhini has guided her career to a comfortable space. "I like what I do now. I wait and choose only what I like. The worst thing that can happen to an actor is feeling burnt out. You have to keep the fire going. And that only happens if you choose what interests you. I want to improve my skill and keep doing more important roles. My passion for acting keeps me going. I don't want to retire," signs off a resolute Chandhini.