Actor Priyamani will be seen playing the role of a strong-willed doctor in ‘Nanna Prakara’, releasing on August 23. She is playing a CBI officer in ‘Doctor 25’, besides essaying an interesting character in a web series along with Manoj Bajpayee.
The actor, who is fluent in all five South Indian languages, says this has worked in her favour over the years. In an interview with Metrolife, Priyamani talks about her latest project, life after marriage and more.
What did you like about ‘Nanna Prakara’?
I found the script unusual. The title itself was interesting. It has some similarities to the film ‘Vantage Point’, where an incident is narrated from the perspective of a single person. Here too, the perspectives of different people are taken into consideration during an investigation. I play Kishore’s wife and I am a doctor by profession. How my observation adds a lot of substance to the investigation of a case, forms the crux of the story. I chose the project because I have so much more to do than just standing around looking pretty.
The concepts are unique and there are moments in the film that will trigger your curiosity.
Does your role reflect the life of a modern-day woman?
Yes. She is a multi-tasker. She is a homemaker and a loving wife. Though the couple doesn’t have kids, they have a dog whom they adore.
How was it to work with director Vinay?
Vinay made sure that everything was in place. Actors want to make their characters believable and workable. He has worked upon every single character and made it relevant to current times.
Does your shifting to Mumbai mean that you will be doing more Bollywood films too?
Not necessarily. My true calling is definitely in the South. There’s a lot of good work coming my way in Mumbai, but it is not exciting enough. I have completed shooting for a web series for Amazon Prime called, ‘The Family Man’ with Manoj Bajpayee. It will release in the first half of September. The promotions for this are on.
How was it to shoot for a web series?
In a short span of time, we have at least two or three cameras rolling simultaneously. Here, positioning becomes important. What I saw excited me. From a layman’s point of view, the series is sharp and insightful.
What, according to you, keeps an actor hooked to a web series?
It is the content and the vast viewership. Digital is the next big thing.
You have also completed ‘Doctor 56’ in Kannada. Tell us about it?
I play a CBI officer. It is a science fiction film and is unusual in content. It will release in Tamil and Kannada. I also have a Telugu film which can be labelled as a horror thriller. Here, a child is the central character.
What are the challenges you face while working in a bilingual film?
For me, it is an advantage because I know the language. Sometimes, you have to be patient when you act with actors who don’t know the language. Helping them get the lines and pronunciation right is a challenge.
How do you deal with trolls and gossip?
I laugh it off because it dies a natural death after two or three days.
Has marriage changed anything?
I have become busier after the marriage. I am grateful that I have a supportive husband and in-laws. They encourage me to work and not sit idle. It is not easy to find strong love and support in your in-laws after marriage. I am lucky that way.
