Sharp and suave, Andrea Jeremiah does not hesitate to speak her mind. Be it on the roles she is to play in her forthcoming films or issues pertaining to the industry, the lady with a melodious voice makes no attempt at holding back her views. Excerpts from an interview with the actor:
Tell us about Sharada Ramanathan's Thirupangal and your role in it. Also, how was it working with Nandaa?
I'm not at liberty to discuss the plot, but what I can tell you now is I play a journalist in the film. The story is about a little girl who, in my opinion, is the star of the film, and my character takes her story forward. I hadn't even met Nandaa before working on the film, but he was great to work with, very professional and takes his job extremely seriously.
Is it easier to work with a woman director? Where do you think women score over men when it comes to direction.
Storytelling is all about craft and content; a good director, be it a man or a woman, is one who knows the correct ratio of these two key ingredients. At the end of the day, the audience is not going to be forgiving of a bad film. The reason why there are very few female directors is this industry doesn't make it easy for them. They prefer women to be either dumb or helpless, which is why the ‘dumb blonde' and ‘damsel in distress' clichés came into being! But a director can't play dumb now, can she? In any case, things are changing, and I hope a lot more women directors will come up. And it's neither easier nor harder to work with a woman director. But working with Sharada was wonderful. She is intelligent and more importantly, articulate, which makes it so much easier for the actor. As a person, she is incredibly warm and caring, which is always a very encouraging thing to come across in this industry.
How much ofVishwaroopam is left? Could you tell us about your role and experience of working with Kamal Hassan?
Viswaroopam is almost over with just a few sequences left, one of which I'm really looking forward to shooting. Again, I can't say much about my role without sacrificing the element of surprise. But I love my look in the film and am quite happy with the way the character has shaped up. Needless to say, working with Kamal sir was brilliant. His name brings with it the stamp of quality and cutting-edge filmmaking. It's amazing to meet someone so full of energy and with an insatiable quest for learning. And to think that he is already a legend with a fabulous body of work. Not one to rest on his laurels, he continues to challenge himself, and that's the greatest thing about him.
We heard that Kamal attended Kathak classes conducted by Birju Maharaj for the sake of Vishwaroopam . Did you too have to attend such classes to acquire special skills for the film?
Yes, both Kamal sir and I had to train briefly under the great Birju Maharaj for a dance sequence in the film. And it was mostly me who had to train, since Kamal sir is already a trained classical dancer. I dabbled in Kathak only during my college days! And Birju Maharaj, what can I possibly say? An exceptional human being, his energy is so child-like, yet his dance is so phenomenally sensuous! The time we spent rehearsing and shooting the song was one of the most unforgettable experiences in my life and I owe it to Vishwaroopam . If not for this film, I would never have met Maharaj-ji, let alone dance to his choreography!
