'I've worked hard to reach where I am'

Singing Star

The good looks probably lie in the genes. Being the daughter of famous parents, she might have been destined to be in films, but Shruti Hassan believes that doesn’t define or confine her. By all counts, the actress wants to build her own identity. Truth be told, she is well on her way to it.

“I can’t really say whether it has been easy or tough professionally. But it has been quite challenging. I still feel that things have not been up to the mark although I am very positive,” she says.

It must have helped, though, to have famous parents? “That can only open doors for you. After that, you are on your own. Most of the decisions that I have taken are my own,” she informs.

So how was it growing up in the midst of movies and glamour? “I wanted to be a movie star as a kid. But then I got more involved in music. I’ve been singing ever since I can remember. When the time came, I just felt that movies were the right thing to do.# By then, I was already a musician and making music,” she recollects.

While ‘Luck’ smiled on her, it was ‘D-Day’ that made people sit up and notice her. On one hand, she is comfortable in Bollywood and on the other, Telugu and Tamil films are kind of homecoming for her! So how does one industry differ from another? “Everything depends on the directors, be it Bollywood or southern films. It is not based on the region,” she says.

She is happy about ‘Welcome Back’, which will happen soon. And there is
Gabbar, which is a tad bit different. “I am also doing Race Gurram  in Telugu and a Tamil film with Vishal directed by Hari,” she adds.

Does she turn to her parents for advice? Or for the tricks of the trade? “I don’t really think they advise me. But if I wanted to talk to them, they are always there,” she says. Meanwhile, working with dad still has to wait as she does not have the dates for Kamal Hassan’s Uthama Villain. “It’s true that I cannot work with him at the moment,” she goes on.

“I’ve worked hard to reach where I am. I’ve to create my own identity. When I am working with him, I will not be looking at him as a father but as an actor,” she avers. While she is proud of her lineage, she is excited about sister Akshara foraying into films. “I am very proud of her, she is a very beautiful girl and I would support her,” she adds. Her hands are full at the moment as she is also the brand ambassador of Celebrity Cricket League (CCL). “CCL brings together all the actors under one roof. And it’s unlike an award function,” she says.

The year that went by was not all hunky dory, especially when she was followed by a stalker. “I’ve been living alone in Mumbai for a long time. And you never think that these kind of things would happen to you. But it did! The Mumbai police were extremely helpful. I’ve put it behind me now. But it has changed me,” she says.