I don't like this concept of second role, small role. It is a story, at the end of the day. If I am suitable for a character, I am glad to reflect that through my choice of films.

'180' is a romantic film, but I don't think it can be classified as a fluffy love story. It is a wonderful story with a script that is layered and more complex than the normal ones.

I studied journalism and was idealistic as a student. In course of time, I learnt that there's a lot of politics, and it's not easy to put forth your point of view as an investigative journalist.

I am not very fond of spotlight or even, for that matter, money. I appreciate the small things that give me joy. The most precious forms of happiness often come from things that money cannot buy.

Being an actress does not mean that each thing that happens in my life has to be news or meant to be shared with others. Acting is a profession, and once I leave the sets, I want to be left alone.

The Malayalam audience knows me as an art film actress, and I am fine with that because I know that such films come from the heart. It's difficult to do them, but the satisfaction you get is immense.

I try to choose characters that are very different; I think I have succeeded in that. A big role or a small one does not bother me at all. What matters is that I should have a rapport with the director.

My cinema is of a different kind: give me a good meaty role instead of two or three songs and running around in foreign locations wearing itsy-bitsy costumes. I'm clear and focussed about my priorities.

After I finished my degree in Mass Communication in Manipal, I enrolled for a cinematography course in Pune Film Institute. That is when Nandini Reddy, the director of 'Ala Modalaindi,' convinced me to act.

My part as an actor ends on the last working day. I think the success or failure only really matters to the producer or whoever it matters to. For me, when I finish the film, I'm done, and if I'm happy, that's that.

I'm often asked how I portray the roles I play so convincingly and express so much through my eyes. Quite frankly, I don't know how to explain that. I guess it's about who I'm as a person; I radiate it through my eyes.

Your heart and your instincts are far more reliable than your brain. When you follow your heart, you can be sure you won't regret it later. Even if you calculate your every move, it's not like life ever goes according to plan.

I wanted to do journalism, as I was an idealist. Then, in my second year of journalism, I realized that in real life, things don't work the way you expect them to. I realized that I could express my ideas better through films.

All of us just go to college and waste our time and to pass our exams. So just learning journalism does not mean I'm good at it or any of the journalists are, either. There is no difference; it's just class, and it's just college.

Journalism is not what it used to be. I thought it was an important job, but it is not. I'm idealistic, and it pretty much upsets me that negativity sells and that even if I wanted to tell the truth, I wouldn't be able to if my boss does not okay it.

When I first heard the 'Urumi' script, I was surprised, shocked, and excited. It was a strong script with a reference to the past. It had fact mixed with fiction. To incorporate facts into a film and introduce fictional characters was interesting. I loved the script.

I must tell you that Telugu film industry is one of the most comfortable places I found a woman can be. They do make a lot of mass films, but from my experience as an actor, I can tell you that people are very nice and welcoming. In fact, it's slightly more difficult in other places.

I'll never forget the dance number that I shot with Anushka. The choreography involved a lot of intricate dance moves. I'm at least 7 inches shorter than Anushka, so I had to wear the highest heels I've ever worn in my life; throughout the song, I even injured my knee a couple of times.

The second you become an actress, people take the licence to make many assumptions about you. You're in trouble if you interact with a director/actor. You're in even more trouble if you don't. When I started out, a single YouTube comment would make me sad for days, and I'd wonder how people could say such nasty things about me.

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