Shruti Haasan is known for speaking her mind. She has come a long way professionally and has taken the hard way to stand strong in the film industry today. From presenting dialogues to being trolled for her fashion choices, she had to struggle a lot. In an interview with Pinkvilla, Shruti talked about her love for music, her upcoming project Salaar, NBK107, being trolled for fashion choices, and much more.
Take a look at the Interview
You once said that you have to communicate automatically, you don’t know how to go about things in the industry. How do you see your journey since then?
I come from a very different school where I have trained myself in music, classical music. I went to music school and my professional training was to perform as a musician. How I completed my first film Fluke and was never planned. Okay, I wasn’t ready, I had a lot to do, but I’m really thankful I had the desire to learn or say when I wanted to at least try and fix it. If I try and it doesn’t work, that’s fine.
This is my approach to everything. It’s like let me try my best and let me really try. Fortunately, for me, it paid off. Yeah Al that sounds pretty crap to me, Looks like BT ain’t for me either. Aside from what I really expected. So professionally, the journey has been really fruitful. In addition, I met many wonderful people during the trip who helped me learn valuable things about cinema, acting, and how to be a person in a professional environment.
Even at a professional level, I had a lot of work to understand and learn and that is the process I continue to do. As a musician, artist, or actor, whatever energy I want to get, the bigger I get, the smaller I feel in terms of my attitude. Like what can I learn today if I don’t know enough? The answer is that I haven’t changed and evolved as much as everyone else does. I prefer to be more aware of this because it is easier to get back to the old ways of thinking and behaving. So I like to be aware of that, that’s the difference. Honestly and honestly, I’m back to where I was.
You have always wanted to explore independent music in India but your expression about music comes through English. What do you think about it?
I don’t think I’m presenting English music here which would be too tight for me to say. We have had a wonderful English subculture of music in India for years and years. We also have great independent music that is really inspiring. I also draw inspiration from other musicians I see doing things I have never seen before.
There is so much to learn and this is a wonderful time. I think there are always reservations about English, which is a lot of fun for me because we communicate in English and we are happy to buy music from non-Indians. I went to an English medium school in which I know how to express myself. Having said that, I also use music to represent the diversity of cultures. I am a Tamil girl who grew up listening to hundreds of Tamil and English songs. I find a natural balance and this is an exciting time that is much better than it was 10 years ago.
We’ve all been through tough times in the home quarantine and we’ve seen you play a lot of music. Is it like therapy for you now?
I am working on music which will be released soon. Of course, music works as a therapy for me but I don’t think so. This is my natural extension. How would I like some expressions that would come out the other way around? It is very much inside me. Thanks to social media, people now know how I work with the piano, the guitar.
When it comes to your fashion, you have truly made Gothic fashion your signature look. Like there are a lot of people who like you to be so experimental.
Of course, I’m inspired. The music I grew up listening to, the literature I read, the novels, and everything I grew up reading from that world. I like heavy metal. When I was little, I used to love living in a random package that was black. Immediately, when people look at me, they will say, “Well, that’s what he’s talking about.” The clothes that fit. It instantly reveals and shows people what you are. For my films too, I would like to know if we can do more than just for one song or if I can help with the stylish and dark skin of the song. But after a while, people advised me that if you can’t dress like this for events … they weren’t wrong … I guess … that’s what happened when I went abroad. Could wear such clothes. So it’s back to the one I’ve always loved.
I have always loved this way and have always felt comfortable in it. Because being different makes you special, not weird. That was a really good thing. Now I have 2 aspects – one is what I show to play the role and the rest of the time I can become Shruti and get permission to be what I want to be.
You can keep saying me chudail, that is my aesthetic and it makes me feel powerful. Now they gave up.
But Shruti do you encounter negative comments, I’m sure you …
When I took a short break from the movies and started focusing on writing my own music and stories in London, I decided to go back to it. So a lot of people were like what was going on but some people said she was always like that and went back to her. Some people don’t understand this and say that she looks like a vampire, scary/chudail. I used to think it was okay to call it whatever you wanted. You can keep calling me chudail, it’s my aesthetic and it makes me feel powerful. Now they gave up.
You have NBK107; What is your situation and how excited are you to work with Gopichand Malineni again?
I still have Salaar on the table and Gopi and I will be working together for the third time in a row. I’m really excited and he’s great with the business community and it’s not something that everyone can get involved with. I enjoy working with him and I think comedy is one of the hardest things and that is the element in which he excels. I didn’t get to do that in Krack and so, I’m really looking forward to working with him again.
Shruti Haasan, What About Salaar…
I’m really excited for people to see it because it’s going to be great. We have yet to complete the second schedule and it has been postponed due to the epidemic.
Part of acting is learning from an opponent, co-star, or even people in the film industry. What was it like working with some of the actors I mentioned:
Vijay Setupati: I think he knows how to attract people, and that means he is everyone’s man. I learned from him that he really knows how to attract people.
Prabhas: He is really earthly. Prabhas is very simple but that does not mean that he is not diligent or focused. He is in all of these but is equally Zain and Sehaj. Prabhas is also a very big person physically. He makes everyone feel comfortable, relaxed.
Kamal Haasan: It will require a separate article but professionally, he has the flexibility. It is not easy to maintain a career at this level for so many years, so mental, physical, and spiritual flexibility is required as it is not easy. They’ve seen changes in technology, people change, they’ve lost a lot of the people they’ve worked with … they’ve seen industries change, they’ve seen faces change … and still Going through a storm. I think one of the things I’m looking for is flexibility. He has lived in a time when his artistic ideas were neither understood nor considered. What I learned from him is that other people say don’t let it affect you.
Ravi Teja: He is very good at comic timing … On a professional level, I have learned a lot about timing … He is good at it. He is very good at what he does and really inspires me. His thinking is very sharp and I like his point of view. I seldom say that but he is really a very kind person.
Pawan Kalyan: He is a very unique person and knows how to celebrate his uniqueness. He is very true to himself about what he is doing, thinking. He is very organic.
Your fans started wishing you a very happy birthday a month ago …
I feel so thankful … they really are like an extension family to me because they keep an eye on me every day. They are very cute if I don’t post anything from time to time and if I’m okay then don’t message. I’m in direct contact with many of my fans. I had the opportunity to interact with the people who inspired me and they became really helpful people. Due to social media, everything stops, and this whole birthday month is very sweet and thought-provoking. I get up every day counting them and it brings a smile to my face.
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