She flashed her pearly whites in Vaaranam Aayiram , flaunted chic designer wear in Aasal and came up with some notice-worthy expressions in Nadunisi Naaygal . But now, Sameera Reddy is flying high. Vedi, Vettai and perhaps Viswaroopam , the upcoming three Vs of Kollywood will feature the hip actor in significant roles. Taking a break from her back-to-back greasepaint-grind, she discusses projects that could catapult her to Kollywood's big league of happening stars. Excerpts:
STATE-HOPPING I have been busy, of late. I'm glad things have shaped up this way. Besides work in Bollywood, I'm shooting for two big projects down South — Lingusamy's Vettai and Prabhu Deva's Vedi . I've been shuttling between Mumbai and the South. It's exciting that I've the opportunity to work with talented directors and co-actors.
ROLE PLAY Each one of my characters, both in Tamil and Hindi, showcases different aspects of me. Hopefully, the audience will get to see my versatility. In Vettai, I'm a village girl (Amala Paul's sister), so there's scope to explore an extremely feminine side. This is the first time Madhavan and I share screen space as a couple. Vedi is a commercial entertainer and I play the lead opposite Vishal. It's laced with comedy, so it's a different experience altogether for me. Tezz (Hindi), on the other hand, portrays me in a completely different avatar. I'm a speed junkie, a tomboyish character that loves the thrills of biking. I always wanted to learn the art of riding a bike the way our action heroes do. So Tezz was a wonderful opportunity.
VISWAROOPAM UPDATE Kamal Hasan is a genius in his field. His directorial skill is on another level altogether. Yes, I have been approached for Viswaroopam . Talks are on for it. But I can't say anything beyond that.
KOLLYWOOD COMFORT I have a lot of love for Kollywood and its audiences. I guess both Kollywood and I have adopted each other! The acceptance I have received here has been gratifying. Besides, I like the fact that Kollwyood perpetually throws up challenges. There are significant projects to whet any actor's appetite for variety.
GAUTAM STAPLE I admire the way Gautam Vasudev Menon works. He introduced me to the Southern film industry through Vaaranam Aayiram . He has this amazing quality to make actors shine. He lets his character evolve naturally. I consider him a mentor to a large extent.
DE-GLAM? Every role has its own demands, and if de-glam is the need of the hour then I consider it my job as an actor to convincingly deliver such a portrayal as you saw in Red Alert . In Tezz you do see a whole new side to me. I keep pace with the guys in the film. I'm always on the look out for a challenge, a great script and the opportunity to explore different genres.
SARTORIAL SENSE What we wear in films is the vision of an entire creative team that conceptualises the nuances of a character. What I wear at social dos is my definition of me. The colours, cuts and styles I wear are always those that make me feel my feminine best. My favourite Indian designer is Neeta Lulla. Armani and Chanel are my preferred Western labels.
PLUS-MINUS I'm hard working and have a positive attitude towards challenges. But I'm a very sensitive and a highly emotional person, which is not good, especially in this career.
FAMOUS TRIO We were a family comprising three sisters even before we became a family of three famous sisters! Nothing's changed. We still laugh, fight, argue and do normal ‘family things.' The dynamics are just like those of any other household.
TURTLE TRIP I still possess my collection of turtle memorabilia. That always brings a smile to my face and most importantly it helps me relive my childhood memories.
HUNKY DORY Life's a whirlwind right now. But I'm enjoying every moment of it. I'm surrounded by wonderful people who support me every step of the way and so balancing doesn't become such an impossible task. Every character that I have played has helped me discover a different facet of my personality; that's the thing about films, they are constantly allowing me to re-invent. I think I can very safely say that I am in a happy place right now.
