Sriranjani does not have any illusions about her career. Famously known for playing maternal characters on the big screen, she describes the type of character she plays as "Onnume solamatanga" with a good-natured laugh.

"Only for films that have the mother as a central character, do they discuss the story or character (with me). In general, I have to ask questions like, 'Is she poor, or from a middle-class family?' so that I can prepare myself a bit (for the role)."

That has changeed with her latest role in "House Owner" directed by Lakshmy Ramakrishnan. "The role and the story demanded that I be natural, just like we are at home. That was tough for me. There is a notion that 'acting' means being expressive. But none of that applied here," she said.

"House Owner felt like my first film as this is the first time I have done a complete movie. I have never acted as the heroine, so this was like a gift."

Her goal, she added, was to understand what the director wanted and deliver it. "Lakshmy is brutally honest about what she feels - it is something that I love and hate about her because I can never be like that."

She agrees that the roles she play in the past are not particularly challenging, but she isn't complaining. "Everyone connects to the family. I can safely say I am in everyone's heart," she said about her 'amma' roles.

When asked about how she picks scripts, she cheerful revealed that she doesn't! "I don't think I am there yet and I don't have that choice as well. I have always gone with the flow. I have two sons and when they were younger, I used to avoid outdoor shoots. That's it."

She doesn't have any regrets though. "I have seen several people who struggle to land even the smallest of roles in films. So I consider it a blessing that I am part of this industry."

And now that she has had a taste of playing a heroine, she has declared that she's ready to play more," Directors tend to approach artistes who have played the heroine and are now doing character roles, for more meaty roles. There could be several reasons behind that - familiarity and such. But I do hope directors experiment. If they do, it would be lovely," she said with a laugh.

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Article: Cinema Express
Photo Credit: Cinema Express