“Hard work always gets rewarded,” declares Shruti Haasan, even as she takes in her stride the bouquets and brickbats that continue to be hurled at her long after the release of her latest film 3 .
“Every time a film of mine releases, I ask a couple of close friends and my parents for their feedback,” she says. So, what did her dad, the celebrated Kamal Haasan, have to say about her latest offering?
“I sought his opinion as an actor and he said he liked it. In fact, he enjoyed it,” she replies in a matter-of-fact manner and goes on to add, “And no, he did not say it just because I am his daughter. He has never had that bias. My dad has always been very frank while giving feedback and as a result, helped me grow. He never advises, he only gives suggestions.”
But what exactly did he say? “He told me that I had evolved as an actor in this film and that it could not be compared to the other roles I had essayed. What delighted me was that he was moved by the film.”
If her dad saw the Tamil version and complimented her on her performance, her mom, Sarika, did the same after watching the Hindi version of the film in Mumbai.
But not everybody has been complimenting Shruti. Her critics say that although her overall performance in the film is pretty impressive, there are scenes that call for more such as the one in which she is shown mourning her husband's death. Get her to respond to and the young actor says, “I don't have to defend myself. I have actually cried in a lot of scenes as I could feel the pain of the character. In fact, I was depressed for a few days after shooting back-to-back sequences. In one instance, tears kept flowing long after the scene was shot. The way I look on screen while weeping is exactly how I look when I cry in real life.”
What after 3 ? At the moment, I am working on Gabbar Singh , the Telugu remake of Dabangg , in which I am paired with top star Pawan Kalyan. The film is almost complete and it was a wonderful experience.”
Considering the fact that the heroine had very little to do in both the Hindi and the Tamil versions, one wonders why she opted for it. “To be honest, they have modified my character to cater to the local audience and therefore, my role is a lot longer than the ones in the Hindi or Tamil versions. Moreover, I found the role of a village girl challenging and took it up.”
Shruti, who is known for her musical talent, has also been working on her music apart from films. “I am passionate about writing. I have been writing poetry since childhood and now, I am planning to set these verses to tune.”
If she had to choose between music and movies? “I would manage my time in such a way that I can pursue both,” is the reply.
