She follows her heart

Call her plucky, versatile, passionate. Actor Pia Bajpiee dons a tonsured look in her upcoming movie, Abhiyum Anuvum that is set to unspool and wow her fans (more than just her 300k listed followers on Twitter) this month. Clearly a marked departure from the vanity you usually associate with a silver screen star. She has just announced the launch of the second video from the highly awaited bilingual Abhi and Anu on social media and the response is more than overwhelming.

For the character

"Well, yes, I am sporting a bald look for a couple of scenes in the film and it has been very challenging for me," shares Pia, who has just wrapped up a fitness shoot with her trainer Yeshudas Sunderraj, at the gymnasium, and still looks remarkably glamorous.

"It used to take almost four hours just to achieve that look. So, if I had to start the shoot at 7 am, I had to start getting ready by 3 am. It was an arduous affair, to be honest. Then for almost 12-13 hours, I would wear the bald look on my head. That was the tough part as I could not move my head much or laugh, or scratch my scalp if it felt itchy. With so much spray and adhesive on my head, I just could not wait to get home and get everything off," she laughs in confession. "And it used to easily take the same amount of time to remove all that."

Didn't she think of actually shaving her head a la Persis Khambatta and Shabana Azmi for the role? "Honestly, I did think that shaving my head would have been so much easier than going through this entire process. But since the script demanded only three to four days of shoot with this appearance, it simply did not make sense to shave off my head completely."

Pia has been able to carve an impressive trajectory in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam cinema over the past few years. "In 2016, I made my Hindi debut with the film Laal Rang, with Randeep Hooda as my co-star. Then came The Virgins with Akshay Oberoi, followed by Mirza Juliet with Darshan Kumar. My challenge is not be part of any run-of-the-mill film in any language. So, I am a bit picky about the projects I choose," she shares.

No dearth of work

"For any actor, the biggest challenge, I think, is surviving in the industry, especially when you are choosy about the kind of work you do, and of course, do not come from a filmi family. But I am blessed. God has been kind to me, so there has been no dearth of good work so far as ample opportunities have come my way."

After pursuing a diploma in Computer Science in Delhi, Pia moved to Mumbai to get into modelling, and dabbled in commercials and music videos. She shot for a Cadbury advertisement with none other than Amitabh Bachchan; and then for a Sonata ad-film with cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Film-maker Priyadarshan then called her for an audition and there has been no looking back since, with blockbusters rolling in galore, including movies like Poi Solla Porom, Aegan, Ninnu Kalisaka...

So, what is the biggest misconception people have about her? "That I can only play the girl-next-door, or happy, bubbly versions in movies," she laughs. Her next movie down South, Abhiyum Aanuvam, is all set to shatter this perception with a bang.

Parting shot? "I feel I am not in a position to give anyone any advice yet. But if I have to say something, it would be "follow your heart with utmost honesty and give your best everywhere," she signs off with a smile. And yes, by her own admission, if not an actor, she would have been a sportsperson for sure. Clearly, the sports world's loss is cinema's gain.