“To me family is synonymous with happiness”
For Shruti and her family, art has always been an integral part of relationships. “We bond over anything that is artistic; be it a movie or a song, that’s happiness for us.” Speaking of funny movies, Shruti says that her childhood favourite is The Party. “I love Peter Sellers in the movie and my parents and I have watched it many times. I also happen to like Will Ferrell starrer Anchorman.” Ever since childhood, art has a direct connection with happiness for Shruti. “And family by itself is synonymous with happiness, isn’t it? What more joy does one have to experience other than spending time with family?”
“Heavy Metal is a lot of fun for me”
Music is something that keeps Shruti going and she doesn’t restrict herself to a particular kind. “All kinds of music bring me happiness and as a musician the basic rule is to not stick to one genre.” Playing a tune or writing a new song puts Shruti in good mood. “I love it though when I listen to something new and it’s something I’ve been wanting to hear for a while, if that makes sense.” Even while growing up, Shruti was introduced to an eclectic variety of music. “Dad listened to a lot of musicals like Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats and the like. I also grew up listening to The Who and The Beatles and mom introduced me to Bob Dylan and Bob Marley. As a child I’ve also listened to plenty of old music by RD Burman and MSV.” However, Shruti is currently catching up on her old heavy metal collection, which is a lot of fun for her. “I’ve started listening to a lot of old stuff which I’d stopped listening to. Sometimes you tend to recycle your music.”
“I love my Sambar Saadham”
Considering her shooting schedule and profession itself, Shruti travels a lot and ends up eating out often. “South Indian vegetarian food is my favourite. I love my sambar saadham.” For Shruti, there’s nothing like getting back to roots when it comes to food and Indian cuisine on any given day gets her satiated. “In Hyderabad, I eat a lot of biriyani and kebabs: nothing like good old Indian food.” She is also fond of Japanese cuisine and likes to try out new restaurants every time.
“I am fascinated by graphic novels”
Given her passion for melodies, music by itself is a way of unwinding for Shruti and she sees writing as part of composing music. “I write a lot which is a part of my music.” There is no limit to how creative people draw their inspirations and Shruti is no different. “I read plenty of graphic novels. The Sandman collection is one of my favourites.” According to Shruti, graphic novels are a great way of interspersing writing, artwork and storytelling and they have always fascinated her.
“I find joy in every place I live in”
Shruti is nomadic in nature and finds something to love about every city she lives in. “I have three homes at present. Right now I live in Hyderabad mostly because I’m working here. I grew up in Chennai. My mom lives in Mumbai and I studied there and have lots of friends in the city. I’ve been very lucky in that sense and I find a home in any place I live in and I look at that adaptability as one of my strengths.” Though Shruti claims she has three homes and that she finds a safe haven in every one of them, there is one place that gives her a rush of happiness and she spontaneously admits that it’s LA. “I studied in LA and there are so many fond memories that come to mind when I think of the place.”
“I feel blissful just in a great pair of jeans and t-shirt”
Shruti is always dressed to the nines and is certainly a fashion plate. However, there hasn’t been a single moment when she has felt brand conscious. “If I like something and it’s branded it’s a different story altogether. But I do believe that you make the brands and the brands don’t make you.” When it’s a bright and a shiny day, Shruti casually likes to slip into a lovely pair of jeans and t-shirt. “I feel extremely comfortable in jeans but I love dresses.” According to Shruti, every girl loves shopping for shoes. “I love collecting shoes and right now I own about 50-60 pairs of shoes.”
“I try to count my happy days and enjoy them while I can”
When asked about some of the happiest moments she can think of down the memory lane, pat came the answer. “I was elated the first time I performed on stage. It gave me a high I can’t describe.” She is someone who is extremely close to her family and puts them above everything. “I was the happiest when my sister was born.” For her, having the ability to do what I love doing the most gives me great pleasure. “The time I realized that I wanted to be an artist for the rest of my life and work towards that is a moment close to my heart.” Even something as small as writing a song, getting a shot right or even good food takes Shruti to a world of happiness. “It brings a smile to my face when I meet someone new and I know for a fact that they are going to be a part of my life forever.”
“Hopefully in ten years I’m healthier, smarter and happier”
Shruti doesn’t have tall claims when it comes to life. “I am happy just the way I am. I can’t even plan out the next two days and as far as work is concerned everything is planned out for me. I don’t think over planning has worked for anyone in particular.” She is certainly “live by the day” kind of a girl and believes that life has its own plans for everyone.
“Music is the one thing that fixes me instantly when I feel low”
Everybody goes through highs and lows and Shruti claims that she has a big list of people to turn to when she is low. “I am very lucky to have a great family, an amazing set of friends and well wishers who I can just call and talk to whenever I feel down.” Beyond everything, though, there is a natural remedy to her feeling blue at times. “Though I have so many people to fall back on during my gloominess, the one thing that fixes me without a question or me feeling obliged is definitely music.”
“You can prove yourself otherwise but proving yourself at home is very important”
Shruti says the experience of acting in 7am Arivu was amazing. “I started off in Hindi and Telugu and everyone here was expecting me to do a film and when 7am Arivu happened, it was such an unbelievable transition. It was certainly worth the wait.” According to Shruti, the movie was a fantastic learning curve, with the likes of Murugadoss and Suriya playing a part in the film. “Everyone knows the kind of film maker Murugadoss is. He has his unique style of narrating a story and Suriya is a very helpful co-star to work with.” Shruti says she is humbled by the response she has received for her performance in 7am Arivu and for her character as Subha Srinivasan. “It just means I have a lot more to prove and a lot more hard work to do from here.”
“When I first heard Kola Veri, I knew it would be a hit”
When she first heard Kola Veri, Shruti doubled up in laughter. “The lyrics are so funny and the music is super catchy and the formula works with people, you know.” But did any of them imagine it to become a super duper hit? Certainly not! “I am so happy to be a part of such a big success. Working with them was also wonderful considering the team is so young and energetic.” Shruti says that her character in 3 is beautiful. “I was so excited to work with Dhanush as I’ve always admired his work. And I am very thrilled for Aishwarya considering this is her first film and it hasn’t even been released yet we’ve seen the signs of success.”
“I don’t think I can come anywhere close to my dad even after doing a handful of films”
For Shruti, films weren’t a choice of convenience. “Genetically, yes, I am his daughter. But I didn’t become an actress because it was convenient. I became an actress because I wanted to.” Shruti says that carving a niche for herself in the industry is her own journey and she will do it her way. “I do have the responsibility considering everybody in my family is into acting or filmmaking but pressure is something I cannot deal with because it is an unrealistic expectation of me to match up my father at this level.”
“To me, size of the role is not a criterion, it is the impact it can create that matters”
Shruti says that she has been fortunate enough to do films like 7am Arivu where she has an equal screen presence as Suriya. “The script of the film is written in such a way that there is no differentiation in gender when it comes to the roles. Even in Oh My friend, my character had a lot to say and now with 3, my character again is very significant.” However, if she was approached to do a film keeping the glam quotient in mind, she might still be perfectly fine to take it up. “I don’t like to differentiate between glam and non-glam roles. I think everything is a challenge. Running around trees is not a joke and it requires certain kind of skill and talent.”
|
Shruti Speaks
“I don’t like to differentiate movies based on regions. I think every film has its own cast and energy.”
“Music is very spiritual to me. I am soon going to release my own album.”
“My parents never advise me when it comes to films. I’ve been brought up independently anyway.”
|
