After starring in HIT 3 and Telusu Kadha, Srinidhi Shetty landed a big project with Adarsha Kutumbam – House No. 47. The Venkatesh-Trivikram Srinivas film, produced by S Radha Krishna under the Haarika & Hassine Creations banner, is set to hit theatres on October 30.
“Trivikram sir is one of the directors I have always wanted to work with. So, when I met him for this film, I immediately accepted the offer,” says Srinidhi, adding, “This story is completely different for both Trivikram sir and Venkatesh sir. It belongs to a new genre, and getting an opportunity to be part of it is a blessing. I felt I shouldn't say no to this film."
Pointing out that AK 47 is a good blend of crime and comedy, Srinidhi says, “Trivikram sir's magic is evident in the punchlines. I enjoyed performing the scenes during the shoot and even while dubbing. It was a lot of fun." The actor plays a mother of two children in the film, and she says her character's age didn't make her hesitate to accept the offer. “Films and characters like these come along very rarely. Getting an opportunity to be part of a wonderful film featuring stalwarts is truly a privilege. I initially had some doubts about how I would pull off my character, but I felt extremely satisfied with my performance. If I had said no to the film, I would have regretted it.”
Adarsha Kutumbam was initially expected to release in August before being postponed to October 2, then October 9, and finally October 30. When asked whether the repeated changes disappointed her, Srinidhi says she understood the need to take time to deliver the best output. “When you have worked hard on a film for nearly a year and a half, and there is still an opportunity to improve the final output, I believe it is better to take a little more time rather than rush into releasing it,” says the actor.
When asked about the growing comparisons between Arjun Sarja's Blast, released earlier this year, and Adarsha Kutumbam, which seems to have similar beats, Srinidhi asserts the two films are completely different. “I have watched Blast. I know our film is entirely new and different. There are no similarities between the two. Whenever a family film releases, people tend to recall other family dramas, just as they do with action or comedy films. I think the same thing has happened here, but story-wise, our film is completely different,” she clarifies.
Actors who work with Trivikram often describe it as a great learning experience. Srinidhi agreed, saying she understood why his colleagues value his advice and suggestions. "He keeps everything calm, and despite being such an experienced director, he always leaves room for discussion, justification, and explanation. There is a lot to learn from him,” says the actor, who quit a cushy techie job to pursue her passion for the creative arts. She goes on to share that one of the biggest challenges in her acting career so far was to get the comedy timing right in AK 47. “Comedy shouldn't be over-the-top or too restrained; it has to feel organic. It is very difficult to match Venkatesh sir's comic timing, so I followed Trivikram sir's direction."
Srinidhi made her acting debut with the KGF franchise, which became a massive success not only in Kannada cinema but across the country and beyond. However, her subsequent Tamil film Cobra didn't help her capitalise on that success. “I felt sad about Cobra's failure, but thankfully, I experienced a setback early in my career. Over time, I learnt to accept the results. I decided not to take them to heart because the outcome is not entirely in my hands. There are many things beyond my control, and I got used to that reality from then on,” says Srinidhi, who reveals that the pandemic affected many of her projects, which is why she has done just a handful of films so far. "All my films seem to take more than a year to complete. Maybe that is one of the reasons,” says the actor. She also reveals that she turned down a few films because her instinct plays a huge part in her signing of projects. "If I feel a story is right for me, I take it up. But if I have even 10 per cent doubt, I don't do it because I may not be able to do justice to the role or the team. I follow my gut feeling and sign a film regardless of the possible result."
Srinidhi's film choices also came under the scanner recently when it was speculated that she didn't accept the role of Sita in the upcoming pan-Indian film, Ramayana. Clarifying what exactly happened, she says, "Three people were shortlisted for the role of Sita, and I was one of them. I attended an audition and also did a screen test, but the makers eventually considered other options. Being auditioned for such a role was a big blessing in itself because they considered me for that character. I felt good about it. That is what happened, and there is nothing more to it," signs off Srinidhi.
