Damsel in success

Actor Mehreen Pirzada has been making waves in the Telugu film industry. Her third Telugu film, the recently released Raja the Great, which features Ravi Teja in the lead, has been declared a super hit. With this success, the actor has scored a hat-trick of hits in Telugu films.
Her upcoming movie, a bilingual, is an important film for her, for it is through this film that Mehreen will be making her debut in the Tamil film industry.

Regional popularity

Titled Nenjil Thunivirundhal in Tamil and C/O Surya in Telugu, the film has been directed by one of Tamil cinema's most respected directors, Suseenthiran. The film looks to drive home the point that in this society, one does not need courage to do something wrong; one needs courage only to do what is right.

Talking about the film, Mehreen says, "I play the role of a confident and entertaining girl, Janani. Basically, she is a rowdy girl. This is one of the best introductions I have got. Even when I heard about my role from Suseenthiran sir, I was like 'wow'. My role might not be too big, but it is going to leave a mark on the audience."

The actor makes no bones about the fact that she respects director Suseenthiran immensely. "He is my lucky charm. My first film in Telugu was Krishna Gaadi Veera Prema Gaadha. It was a super hit and I signed this film right after that. I finished the first schedule of this film and went back to Hyderabad, and you won't believe it, I was selected for six films in two days. Actually, all six films were great projects. But my manager pointed out that a month has only 30 days, not 60! So, I had to confine myself to signing just four films. I am that kind of a person who will give my 24 hours to cinema. Out of the four that I signed, two have already released and become super hits. The other two are awaiting release," she states.

She further adds, "I will always respect him for choosing me for the film. Bharathiraja sir unveiled my poster and Suseenthiran sir told me the reason behind getting Bharathiraja sir to launch my poster was that he had launched a number of top stars, including Sridevi."

Point out that Suseenthiran himself has
introduced over 100 newcomers to the Tamil film industry, and she says with a smile, "I know. He is a very sweet and simple person who doesn't like to take any credit. I have always seen him directing with his little kid in his arms."

Mehreen has already made a good name for herself in the Tamil film industry with several members of the unit of Nenjil Thunivirundhal vouching for the dedicated and sincere nature of the actor. In fact, they say that despite sustaining injuries in repeated accidents, Mehreen continued to shoot and complete her portions of the film.

Work comes first

Talking about these accidents, Mehreen says, "Suseenthiran sir calls me 'Action Queen' because I was accident-prone on the sets. I didn't know how to ride a two-wheeler but the script demanded it, and so I tried and hurt my foot. But after a quick trip to the hospital, I was back on the sets. I take pride in giving my 100% in everything I do. Also, if your whole team and your director are so supportive, you just feel enthusiastic to work."

Mehreen might be a popular face amongst the Telugu audience, but she is new to the Tamil audience. So, how would she describe herself to them? "I am a happy-go-lucky girl, who always keeps entertaining people around her. I am unknowingly funny. That is , if you ask me to be funny, I wouldn't know how. I am a straightforward person, and I like being around simple and truthful people. In fact, I like people who have negative things to say about me. The world always tells you about your positives, but I like listening to negatives too," she states.

How does this young star handle criticism? She replies, "Criticism is welcome. Nobody is born perfect.This is my first film in Tamil. With each film, I am going to become a better actor."

MANIGANDAN K R