'I was bowled over by the script'

There has been no looking back for actor Sruthi Hariharan since her debut in ‘Lucia’ in the Kannada film industry a while ago. Appreciated for her performance in the movie, Sruthi has since been essaying interesting roles in Kannada films like ‘Rhaatee’, ‘Plus’ and ‘Madha Mathu Manasi’ to mention a few. Her latest project ‘Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu’ (GBSM) sees her playing the role of a doctor. Sruthi says the project is truly special, not only because she got to play a very different role but also because she is acting with one of her favourite actors, Anant Nag. In an interview with Nina C George, she shares her experience of working on the project.

What made you accept the offer?
I met director Hemanth when I was working on ‘Savaari 2’. And soon after, he approached me for ‘Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu’. In the first narration itself, I was bowled over by the script and fell in love with the character that I was offered. I also knew Anant Nag sir would be on board and the very prospect of meeting him — leave alone working with him — is a dream come true.

Tell us a little about your role.
I play the character of Dr Sahana, who I think is best described in a song from the film itself — ‘Komala Henne’. But yes, that’s poetry and I don’t want to flatter myself too much. Sahana works in an old-age home as a geriatric physician and when one of her patients (Venkob Rao played by Anant Nag) goes missing, she joins Shiva (his son) to search for Venkob Rao. Throughout the film, Sahana continues to be a source of hope and strength for the son to find his missing father.

You say that every modern woman can relate to your role. How?
Dr Sahana is an independent, well-educated, career-oriented woman, in her late 20s. And like most young women of that age, she too is coaxed by her folks to get married and ‘settle down’. She, however, wants to wait until she comes across the right man. I think a lot of women today feel the same way.

How was your experience of acting with Anant Nag?
There are certain experiences you can’t put down in words and this is certainly one of them. Anant sir is not only a phenomenal actor but also a wonderful human being. He used to share so many stories from his past and I remember sitting at the shooting location, listening to all he had to say, like a little child — completely mesmerised.

Do you feel the contents of the movie reflect reality?
At the very core of the storyline is a rampant and unspoken case of missing people. In India, hundreds of people go missing every year. These are mostly young children or old people, affected with dementia or similar degenerative disorders. The director has developed a very well-researched script and has woven into it fictional elements which make the film worth watching.

The Kannada film industry has begun exploring subjects that are different. Do you agree?
Yes, absolutely. There is a positive shift and this has made way for parallel cinema to be made and succeed as well. We now have a good bunch of such films to boast about, right from ‘Lucia’ to ‘Thithi’.  After GBSM, ‘Urvi’, ‘Beautiful Manasugalu’ and ‘Aarya-Maurya’ are films that I am a part of. They deal with real subjects that break away from the conventional formula of filmmaking.

All the characters in the film seem to perfectly complement each other...
Yes, they do. Each of the characters is etched well and the credit goes to the director. His clarity of thought and collaborative approach has helped us work as a team. Thus, no character is overpowering. There is a good balance.