Samantha doesn’t believe in mincing words. Ask her about her goals while she was growing up and she says, quite bluntly, ‘making money’. Ask her about doing women-centric films aimed at critical acclaim, and she says that she’d rather see box-office collections.
It’s perhaps this candid thought process that has augured well for her in the last couple of years. She’s had films with Vijay ( Kaththi ), Suriya ( Anjaan ) and Dhanush ( Thanga Magan ) and has teamed up with the same big stars again in the recently-released Theri , much-awaited 24 and Vada Chennai . In an exclusive, no-holds-barred interview with Metroplus , the actress opens up abouther upcoming projects, dreams and more.
Audio interview: Listen to what the actress has to say.
Theriis doing brisk business at the box office…
I really needed it to be a big hit. I had huge success with Kaththi , but I didn’t have the kind of role to perform in that. Theri sorted that out; and that’s why I am extra happy.
It wasn’t great going a few years ago when you had your share of failures…
I made a conscious decision a year and a half back when I had a string of disasters…. that was the time when the roles I chose were criticised because they were formulaic. After that backlash, I made a decision to even stay at home rather than doing those films. Fortunately, films with good roles came my way after that. With Theri , we have BO collections and a good role side-by-side. I guess if you try harder again and again, success comes to you.
It helps that you’re working with established directors, right?
I always want to go after good directors; I actually don’t have a wish-list of actors. The craze for stars has come down a bit, thanks to content being key. First, I see who the director is, then the content and only then the actor.
Both Thanga Magan and Theri had another heroine (Amy Jackson) while 24 has Suriya playing three roles. That surely indicates lesser screen-time for you… does that bother you?
In Theri , though my character was small, it had an impact. I know that I cannot ask for a screen space of two-and-a-half hours, especially in the south. I would like to take up content-based scripts. I’m now trying to remake a film called U Turn from the Kannada industry… it’s a good film that just happens to have a strong female protagonist. And I have no intentions of doing women-centric, social-message films.
Why do you say so?
I don’t personally enjoy watching them. I like subtle messages, not hard-hitting ones in the films. I plan to take up roles that impact the mass audiences and not just reviewers.
Are you saying you don’t yearn for critical acclaim at all?
Over time, I’ve learnt to understand that there are going to be good reviews sometimes… and great collections at other times. Rarely do you please both sections. Maybe with some films I want to have critical acclaim, but mostly, I’d like to see box-office collections.
So you have to choose with care?
I say ‘no’ to almost a film a day, as there isn’t anything exciting. Especially after the kind of run I’m having. I was in a film with Vijay, a huge star, but I still managed to get some kind of role with importance. It doesn’t make sense to go back to the road I took in the past… I’d rather sit and wait.
You balance both Telugu and Tamil cinema successfully…
The two industries are merging. The heroes want to make their films work in both. This merger is great news for the industry. It should have happened much sooner.
24, your upcoming film, is being talked about in both the industries. Tell us about it.
It doesn’t follow any commercial template. The greatest quality in Vikram Kumar, the director, is that the child in him is still very much alive. His ability to see fantasy is child-like. I believe that he has brought that into 24. The film is not math… it is storytelling. Of late, everyone is treating films as mathematics; they’re calculating what audiences will feel in the thirtieth minute and what they should go through in the fortieth. Vikram is one filmmaker who doesn’t know any of this… he’s a storyteller. That’s an edge 24 has. His dream and imagination has been made possible by a brilliant technical team. I completely swooned at the idea of this film; I hope audiences see it the way we see it.
Tell us where you fit into this story that already has three Suriyas. I know there’s dancing in the songs by A.R. Rahman, but is there something beyond that?
The love portions are kind of on a lighter note. But it’s still connected to the main story… that’s what I liked about it. Vikram is strong with his women characters; they might not be hard-hitting, intense portrayals, but they have a certain connect with the audience.
You grew up in Pallavaram, a suburb in Chennai, and had quite a normal childhood. What was the plan growing up?
Making money! Things were hard growing up…. so, I just wanted to get out of a financial rut. Working hard was always part of the plan. Thankfully, my first Telugu film — Ye Maaya Chesave ( Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa in Tamil) — clicked, and since then, it has been a whirlwind.
How do your schoolmates from Pallavaram view your success?
They somehow always thought I would make it big…. perhaps because I worked hard. At 15, I would balance school and work — doing odd jobs. Post college, in the evenings, I’d work too, doing many odd jobs.
Now that you’re on top of the film industry, it must feel good…
Rising up the ladder is easier than sticking around at the top. When you’re rising, you are not scrutinised much. Also, you have just one goal at sight. At the top, you’re sitting and waiting to be replaced. So, it’s a not-so-nice place to be.
