Sruthi Hariharan: Representing women in their mid-30s in cinema is vital

Sruthi Hariharan states that actors live in two different and contrasting worlds. "There is an actor's world, and there is my real world. For 15 years, I have managed to find my balance between those worlds," says the actress who was recently seen in the Tamil cinema with the courtroom drama The Verdict, her first release in the language after eight years! In a chat with us, the National Award-winning actress talks about why she feels OTT is helping women in cinema, balancing between work and being a mom, her plans to turn director, and more.

Excerpts:‘There are fleshed-out characters written for women across age groups’Delving into how OTT has changed the game for women in cinema, Sruthi says, “In today's world, where OTT exists and writing has depth, women are no longer just used as pretty faces — at least in most films. There are fleshed-out characters written for women across age groups. I am in my mid-30s, and I think representing women in their mid-30s in cinema is vital.

OTT has definitely opened gates for different narratives to be explored.

”‘I got a chance to step away from domestic duties for one month’The Verdict was shot mostly in the US, and taking us through her experience of shooting abroad as a working mom, Sruthi says, “I've done many films after I had my daughter, but this was the first time that I was away from Bengaluru. So, I got a chance to step away from my domestic duties for one whole month and experience the feeling of what it is like to be a full-time actor.

I was always balancing between work and being a mom, and the film gave me a chance to lose myself in my art.

Women need to take out time for themselves and give themselves a break.” She admits to having mom guilt, but adds, “There were spurts of guilt that I would feel, especially because communication was a bit difficult due to the time zones. But I knew that she was happy, as she was well taken care of by my husband and mother-in-law.”‘Varalaxmi is strong-willed; Suhasini ma'am is a legend’Talking about her co-stars in the film, Suhasini Maniratnam and Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, she says, “Varalaxmi is strong-willed and knows exactly what she wants. The personality she brings into a space is endearing. You cannot help but take notice of her. Suhasini ma'am is a legend. I'd go to her before a scene and ask whether we could rehearse together. I hope it did not bug her too much.” Interestingly, she had played Suhasini’s younger version in the Kannada film Ambi Ning Vayassaytho (2018).

Reflecting on it, she says, “The makers showed me a picture where I look like her, and I was like, ‘OK, we do seem similar’.

”‘I'm not a spontaneous actor’Describing herself as a "partial method actor", she says, “I'm not a spontaneous actor. I need to rehearse; I’m a partial method actor. If I have an intense scene, I have to stay in the mood. I cannot break away, laugh in one corner and immediately change as soon as they say 'action'.

This is one of the reasons why I am an actor. I consider acting as an escape from my reality. I’m currently working on a Kannada film where I play an antagonist for the first time.

My character's core belief is that if somebody doesn't listen to her, she can take their life. It's such an intense emotion to feel, so imagine method acting to that! You end up feeling so much anger within you, and to feel that was challenging. For instance, to get bloodshot eyes, I would crouch and hold my breath for some time."‘My aspirations have changed from just being an actor’Talking about her aspirations at this stage in her career, Sruthi reveals, “As an actor, I have become more mature and calm. There is a lot that I want to do. My aspirations have changed from just being an actor; I want to write and direct. In fact, that process is happening. I lost a few years to COVID, and also was on hiatus after my baby. I'm now back with so much fire in my belly, and am not going to leave any stone unturned.”

Sruthi's faves — Radhika, Tillotama, Kani & Nimisha

Revealing her favourites among contemporary actresses, Sruthi shares, “I really like Radhika Apte’s choice of films. I also enjoy what Tillotama Shome and Kani Kusruti are doing. And Nimisha Sajayan is totally killing it.”