A steal-lar debut

After featuring in hit films in Telugu and Malayalam, Anu Emmanuel has finally made her debut in Tamil with Thupparivaalan. But the first project she actually signed up was Gautham Menon’s upcoming Dhruva Natchathiram, a film she opted out of. "I was doing two Telugu films, and wasn’t in a position to allocate as many dates as the makers of that film needed," says Anu, who expresses happiness at the response to Thupparivaalan.

"I don’t play a conventional heroine. I play a pickpocket, and it was a tough role. But it was also a lot of fun,” she says. Mysskin, she says, isn’t a typical director. “I've learned a lot from him. He clearly explains your strengths and weaknesses, and works to make the best of both." Thupparivaalan has a big star cast, including Prasanna and Simran, in addition to its hero, Vishal. "It was good to be a part of such an experienced team. Vishal was a very cool colleague," she says.

She’s not surprised that the film has come out to generally positive reviews. "It's an offbeat thriller. There are no songs in the film and even the love track is very subtle. I'm just one of the many characters in this very different film."

Anu has now worked across three South Indian languages, but says they are not all all that different. "I think it's the people who you work with that makes the difference, not the language," she says.

Her last outing in Malayalam, Action Hero Biju, was a big hit, but she hasn't signed another Malayalam film yet. "I haven't got anything interesting since. I didn't like what I was getting. I’m looking for a good script," says this actress, who has three films lined up: Oxygen, Naa Peru Surya Na Illu and an untitled film starring Pawan Kalyan.