‘Love the energy that comes with directing’

Sruthi Hariharan is prepping for the shoot of her next film, working on the script she’s going to direct and, is finding the time for her regular workouts. “I wake up every morning and look forward to the day because there’s so much happening right now; I call this phase the resurrection of Sruthi. And it’s because my career is seeing such a turnaround,” smiles Sruthi, adding, “The opportunity to direct presented itself; it is being helmed by five directors and I’m one of them. I like the process of being a director and the kind of energy it has set off in me. Acting will be my mainstay, but direction is like the cherry on a cake.”
‘I’m not your quintessential heroine’
I’ve done varied films through my career that satiated my creative streak. As an actor, I think staying relevant is important; by sharing your art through various films. While I may not have had a release post Head Bush, it doesn’t mean I’ve been sitting idle. There are many projects I’ve been filming and they will all come out in 2024. In Tamil, I have two projects and one of them is with Suhasini Maniratnam ma’am, Vidyu Raman and Varalakshmi Sarathkumar. In Kannada, besides my directorial, I have four films I’ve acted in,” concurs Sruthi.
‘For an actor, their body is an important tool’
On a fitness journey postpartum, Sruthi explains what got her into it. “It was an epiphanic moment about eight months ago. I was shooting for a film by NS Shankar and one of the scenes required me to crouch into the fetal position. And I couldn’t do it completely because my post partum tummy got in the way. I felt disheartened and I decided right away that I had to become fit because for an actor, their body is an important tool to emote,” she states.
‘Today, the Kannada industry has roles irrespective of age, colour or size’
It has become inclusive and appreciates true talent. And we have such fabulous films celebrating art and these include Gantumoote, Photo, Hadinelentu, Pinky Elli and Saptha Saagaradache Ello. The writing is so fabulous and I’m proud that we are offering women such wonderfully-etched characters. Yes, there is some concern about profits and the business of our films, but as artistes, we all carry forward with hope.