Priyadarshan is my mentor and I wanted to give my best shot: Piaa Bajpai

Piaa Bajpai, the small town girl from Uttar Pradesh, has succeeded in making a mark in the South Indian film industry in a short span of time. The actress, who made an entry in M-Town with Prithviraj-starrer Masters, is now back with her mentor Priyadarshan’s upcoming movie Aamayum Muyalum. In a candid chat, Piaa speaks about her tryst with movies; dealing with success and failure, and more…
Excerpts:
Tell us about your Priyadarshan project, Aamayum Muyalum It was a dream come true to act in a Priyadarshan film.It won’t be an exaggeration to say that I was in a trance like state when I started shooting for the film. Seriously, it took two to three days to sink in the fact that I am working in a Priyadarshan movie. He is the one who introduced me to Kollywood director Vijay for Poi Solla Porom, and that paved the way for my movie debut. He is my mentor and I wanted to give my best shot. I would love to do more projects with him. When it comes to his films, I am a greedy (laughs).
How was it working with your co-star Jayasurya? All the 40 days of shoot was filled with fun and frolic. I have never laughed so much in my entire life! In fact, I never thought I could easily spend one and half months at the shooting location in Karaikudi. But I did, and all thanks to my co-stars. Every evening, they used to go on a food hunt, exploring the authentic cuisine of the southern village. Since I am a vegan, I couldn’t taste everything. But I enjoyed their company a lot.
My look in the movie is very different. I have mostly sported curly hair in my films. But in this film I play a village belle, and I had to get my hair smoothened to braid it. That gave me a fresh look.
How comfortable are you with Malayalam now? Better, I guess. This is my second film in Malayalam and I would say it is one of the most difficult languages to learn. But I think I am very good at lip syncing. I don’t know how I am doing it, but even if you give me Chinese I will give proper lip sync.
How do you select a project? There’s always pressure on an actor. If your film is a hit, you will get a lot of calls and appreciation. However, if my project flopped, I won’t blame anyone; I will never say it was my mistake to act in that film. It is an unprofessional attitude. I have never signed any project on the basis of money. If a project or character thrills me, I am sure it will excite the audience too. I have a positive attitude towards life. I have worked as a receptionist and a tutor before entering movies.
I believe in myself and that is what keeps me going. For instance, in 2013, I did not have any exciting projects, but I didn’t get disheartened. This year, my projects X and Nerungi Vaa Muthamidathe are doing well at the box office.
Are you a fitness freak? I am a foodie but I stick to a healthy way of eating. Moreover, I never abuse my body by starving or following an intense diet. Leafy veggies, fruits, cereals and lentils form my staple diet. Fitness is a part of my life and I don’t mind doing workouts regularly. For instance, during the Karaikudi shoot, the hotel we stayed didn’t have a gym. So I used to exercise in the car porch of the hotel in the night. Many people consider actors as their role models. So I believe, being an actress, it is my responsibility to look fit and fab.
Any marriage plans on the cards? I am single. This is one of the best phases of my life and I am relishing every moment. All good things are difficult to achieve and likewise, good people are hard to find. If I find Mr Right, I will never let him go (laughs).
What are your upcoming projects? I haven’t signed any other projects yet. I am listening to scripts. I am sure something good and interesting will happen in December. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.