'I grew up watching Bollywood films'

Looking forward

Actor Shraddha Srinath is happy that her latest release ‘Operation Alamelamma’ has been doing well.

The young artiste, who has a slew of projects in other South Indian film industries as well, has signed the dotted line for two new Kannada projects ‘Godhra’ and ‘Johny Johny Yes Papa’.

In a candid chat with Tini Sara Anien, Shraddha talks about playing varied roles.

How has the response been to your latest project?

The feedback for ‘Operation Alamelamma’ has been very positive. People liked my role and I have received a lot of acceptance. My role demanded me to wear mainly saris and I wasn’t sure if I could manage that. But it all turned out well.

Tell us about your latest Kannada projects.

‘Godhra’, which will be directed by Nandeesh, is a political drama.

I grew up watching Bollywood films and the narration reminded me of some of the movies of Ram Gopal Varma, especially projects like ‘Satya’. ‘Godhra’, which will have many parallel stories, will see me paired with Sathish Ninasam.
‘Johny Johny Yes Papa’ is a proper comedy film. It is a sequel to ‘Johny Mera Naam Preethi Mera Kaam’ which had Duniya Vijay and Ramya in it. I always wanted to try comedy as I like experimenting.

What makes you say yes to a project?

The movie has to have a name that I can trust or someone I’m eager to work with. There are many things that attract me to a film; be it the script, a big director, a good co-actor or a great production banner.

Why did you decide to take a break from Kannada projects?

It’s not a conscious break. I signed ‘Operation Alamelamma’ in 2016 and completed filming for it, but didn’t hear any interesting scripts after that. I got projects from other industries and got busy there. I have told myself that I will focus on one project at a time.

Is it a different experience to act in other languages?

It’s not different at all. Everyone works the same way.

When you are not on the set, how do you relax?

I love to take off whenever I can. Staying away from my phone does me a lot of good. When I am not shooting, I like to do things that I can’t usually do when I’m shuttling between sets. These include things like just sitting and watching Netflix or catching up with some friends.

A few things that you remind yourself when you’re facing the camera.

After I hear ‘action’, I tell myself that I am not Shraddha Srinath but the character that I will be playing in the movie. I constantly remind myself that I am someone else on screen.

Snapping out of a role and getting into another can be quite a challenge.

 Are you nervous about not being seen in Kannada movies?

I don’t have any fear that I will be forgotten. In fact, I believe that there are many people who wish me well and are eager to get updates about me and my work.

I believe in the saying ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ and I know that people are waiting to me on screen again.