Her cute wink and coquettish smile may have made Priya Prakash Varrier the national crush but the debutante, who is enjoying her newfound fame, hopes to have a lasting acting career rather than being a fleeting Internet sensation.
The 18-year-old college student, whose appearance in the teaser song 'Mani Manikya Malaraya Poovi' from film "Oru Adaar Love" ( A Superb Love Story) catapulted her to national fame, also has Bollywood dreams and counts Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shah Rukh Khan among her favourites.
"I would like to be known as a good actor rather than being known as the wink queen. This is a new feeling. But I am happy. The song has received good response," Varrier, whose Instagram following has now reached 3.3m and the numbers are growing, said.
"Our director told us that the 30-second shot should be a memorable one and we followed his vision. I never expected that it would become such a big hit. It is a school-centric film. We are discussing love, crushes and friendship. Love in the time of schooling is the theme of the film," she said.
In the viral number, the actor and her co-star Roshan Abdul Rahoof are seen doing a see-saw with their eyebrows before Varrier surprises him with a wink and a flirtatious smile.
Varrier credits Roshan for creating the moment by tweaking his eyebrows first.
The actor, whose father is a Central Excise officer and mother a home-maker, says acting was her dream and would like to balance it with her studies.
"Coming to films was a big dream of mine. But I never thought that from a single scene and a single movie, I will get recognised so much. It was all unexpected.
"I like Deepika Padukone very much. I would like to work with her. I want to work in Bollywood films and earn fame," she told television channels.
Her instant fame has led to many new offers and the actor says she is open to working in any industry, if she gets meaty roles.
The second teaser of the film has also gone viral, in which Varrier can be seen shooting a kiss with a handgun gesture.
The film, meanwhile, has run into trouble as the Hyderabad Police yesterday registered a case on a complaint that the lyrics of the song had allegedly hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims.
"I don't know much about this. I don't have any idea," she said when asked about the controversy.
The film's director Omar Lulu says there is nothing objectionable in the song and it will not be pulled out.
"Oru Adaar Love", which is currently under production in Kochi, is a romantic comedy and has Siyadh Shahjahan and Noorin Shereef sharing space with Priya and Roshan. It is expected to be released by June.
