Smilie Suri was out of action after her maiden movie Kalyug. After four years of waiting, this niece of veteran director Mahesh Bhatt and sister of director Mohit Suri has got a reason to smile.
She will be seen in N. Chandra’s Yeh Mera India, which is scheduled to release today.
Justifying her hiatus from filmdom, Smilie says she “wanted to do a role that was different from the sober girl in Kalyug. I also did not want to do any project under my family’s banner. I wanted to be taken seriously as an actor.”
Reel and real
So, is she satisfied with her role of a middle class girl who works in a call centre? “I grabbed the opportunity when Chandra approached me to play Asha, as she is an independent, strong-natured individual who does not take nonsense. I was really excited to be part of a movie that boasts veteran actors such as Anupam Kher, Sarika and Seema Biswas.”
The movie, with six different stories, revolves around socially-relevant issues. It has been shot in chawls and other realistic locations in Mumbai.
Says Smilie: “The locals at the Charni Road chawl, where we were shooting, were very warm.”
And, the actor says it was not difficult getting into the skin of her character as she is like that in real life too.
How was it shooting for the ‘sexual harassment’ scene with Rajit Kapoor, who plays her boss in the movie? Smilie confesses: “I felt very uncomfortable. But, it was shot differently and Chandra made it look real.”
Post Yeh Mera India, the audience will see Smilie in Andalib Sultanpuri’s Down Town, scheduled to be released at the end of the year.
“I play a bubbly, young girl who comes to the city from a small town to participate in a reality show. The films stars Vinod Khanna, Rati Agnihotri and Akhil Rajendra.”
The Chennai connection
Smilie visits Chennai every six months to spend quality time with her father, who has a bungalow in Thiruvanmiyur.
“I feast on Chettinad cuisine and idli-vada-sambar and chill out whenever I come here for a holiday. I also enjoy my father’s pampering.”
Does she nurture any Kollywood dreams?
“If any interesting role comes my way, I’ll definitely accept it. The industry here has a lot of talented people and it is very professional. I would like to work in a Mani Ratnam project,” signs off Smilie.
