Actor Shalini Pandey, who made a striking debut with a lead role in Arjun Reddy (2017), has come back to Tamil cinema six years after the heist comedy Gorilla (2019). Shalini plays a key role in Dhanush’s Idli Kadai. Despite the long gap, the actor did not feel any pressure about returning to Tamil cinema. In an exclusive conversation with CE, she shares, "I am very fearless, and I do take a lot of pride in saying that. I wish to go to the set, take pleasure in my work, and return home to sleep peacefully at night. That is what my whole idea of working is."
Dhanush is the main factor in Shalini deciding to sign up for the film. "I have loved Dhanush sir's work and have seen many of his Hindi films. I have also watched Raayan, which I really liked," Shalini shares, before adding, "I was most excited that Dhanush was both directing and acting in the film. Then, he narrated the script to me, and I found it to be a beautiful, deeply rooted story." Working with an actor who is also the director of a film can be intimidating for some. Shalini has kept it simple by viewing Dhanush as the role he played at the time. She says, "When he acts with me, he is just my co-star. On the other hand, when he directs me, I forget the actor in him."
Talking about how this dynamic affects her as an actor, Shalini explains, "This is my first time working with someone who is also directing the film. However, it is a plus point because then your director knows exactly what to give you. Because he is also an actor, he understands your needs as a co-star and whatever you require from him. As an actor, when you are communicating with a director, sometimes, they might not understand what you really mean. But if the director also has acting experience, they understand exactly where you are coming from, which I felt happened with Dhanush. He has been in that position, having acted for so many years. Other than that, he is also a very empathetic actor."
Besides Tamil, Shalini also has credits in Hindi, with a notable performance opposite Ranveer Singh in 2022's Jayeshbhai Jordaar. Shalini says she does not consider the language of a film while deciding on an offer to act in one. "It is the script first and then the people that I am working with. I understand that Indian cinema is a diverse industry, with films in Hindi, English, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada, among others. However, I see language as a way of communicating and expressing. For me, if the story works, it works regardless of the language and the industry."
The actor believes that she has already been able to nail the rooted aspect of a character hailing from a place that is not her native place. "I have played a Gujarati girl in Jayeshbhai, which was my Hindi debut. Besides, Preeti was extremely culturally rooted," she shares, referring to her character in Arjun Reddy. "Preeti is a Mangalorean who speaks Tulu and is pretty culturally rooted," she adds.
Speaking of Arjun Reddy, there has been plenty of discourse around the political correctness of the film ever since its release. Some might consider it a career risk to be part of such a project as their debut film, but Shalini never thought of it this way. "When Arjun Reddy came to me, I was fresh out of college and just wanted to be an actor. I was over the moon to play that character and be part of the film industry. Thankfully, the people that I worked with were lovely as well," she concludes.
