E-Paper
Actor Shanthi Priya says, today things are more professional than in 90s
Shanthi Priya talks about resuming work, recalls her Hindi debut in 1991 and more
Actor Shanthi Priya asserts that things have changed from the ’90s to now. The Phool Aur Angaar (1993) actor says, “Today, everything is out on social media. Earlier, for film shoots, we never had monitors on the sets, no reading or practise sessions. Dialogues were given instantly. There were no action rehearsals, but now post and pre-production patterns have changed. It used to take six to eight months — poora film ban jaata tha. Today, things are planned from scratch — be it casting, location or costumes.”
She adds, “When I did the OTT series Dharavi Bank (2022), I was shocked. Costumes were fixed as per the light and mood palette of the scene. Back in the 90s, we had two-three dull sarees for regular scenes and heavy ones for songs. If the stylist felt our saree was too dull or bright, they would buy from the market as per requirement. Today, things are done more professionally with each department being well prepared. This surprises me.”
Priya calls it unbelievable how fast clock has ticked from her debut Hindi film Saugandh (1991), which saw her share screen space with actor Akshay Kumar. The film was shot in Lucknow.
“It was after doing regional films for a couple of years that I got this Hindi film with a beautifully written character of Chand. We shot the initial chunk in Lucknow before moving to Ooty (Tamil Nadu) for songs and then to Mumbai. It was probably then that the city of Lucknow probably started to develop and had a huge green expanse. Since it was my first Hindi film, I have fond memories of the place,” she says.
The actor says she has never been on a work hiatus: “For me, it was a matter of on and off work. After getting hitched in 1992, I was busy with family. In 2002, I was offered the TV show Aryaman and in 2008 I did a mythological show called Mata Ki Chowki that went on for three years. In fact, I stopped doing films down South and now, after 33 years, I am making a comeback with (director) Vetrimaaran’s film and a biopic based on a freedom fighter. I am also doing a Hindi web show.”
