‘Even if I do a 15-minute role, it should be impactful’

‘Even if I do a 15-minute role, it should be impactful’

Preethi Asrani received high praise when she made her film debut in Tamil last year with Ayothi. In a chat with us, she opens up about being choosy about her roles, her command over multiple languages, and why she wouldn’t do a role just for the sake of it…

‘I am blessed to have Ayothi in my filmography’

The appreciation I got for Ayothi was tremendous and I’m extremely grateful for it. I am blessed to have the film in my filmography. It was also my first film in Tamil. While shooting for it, I wasn’t thinking about its success. I just believed that I had to give my 100 per cent. And when the movie was released, I was blown away by the response. Many filmmakers use Ayothi as a reference when they offer me a role. They keep telling me again and again about the impact the film and my character had on them. I always believe that we should just focus on the process and not think about the results.

‘Learning languages is my favourite hobby’

I love working in multiple languages simultaneously because learning languages is my favourite hobby. When people ask me what I do in my leisure time, I tell them that I learn languages. When you go to a new place and talk to people there in their language, communication becomes easier. If I’m in Chennai, people here are happy when I speak in Tamil to them. Many don’t know that I can speak Tamil. So, I try to tell them that even though I am from Hyderabad, I can speak Tamil fluently. I can speak seven languages. Learning languages has helped me a lot as an actor. When you have command over the language, you can pull off the emotions well, because you are just focusing on your performance and not on the lines.

‘My character should have her individuality’Nowadays, the audience is so smart. For me, content is the key. We have so many great talents and stories to tell. I want to work on good scripts. When I did Ayothi, I knew that I wanted to do the film because it was a beautiful message-oriented film. But I’m not saying that I want to do only message-oriented films. It’s just that the story should be good. My character should have her individuality.

On her upcoming projects…I’m part of a film with Kavin, directed by choreographer Sathish. Anirudh is composing the music for it. We have almost finished the shoot; we have just the final schedule left. It is an entertainer in which I’m playing a joyful character; a different role from what I did in Ayothi. I have also recently signed a film with Rio Raj. My role will be performance-oriented and powerful.

On whether she finds it hard to say no to a film…If I think that the character offered to me doesn’t have much to do or if it’s not what I’m looking for, I very politely convey that to the team. There are times when the script is nice, but it is the kind of script that I’m not looking for at that time, because I have already done something similar before.

For more news like this visit TOI. Get all the Latest News, City News, India News, Business News, and Sports News. For Entertainment News, TV News, and Lifestyle Tips visit Etimes