Operation Alamelamma made me realize that I can do commercial films: Shraddha Srinath

She was recognized as a force to reckon with in her debut film itself. After having won applause in U-Turn, Shraddha Srinath went on to win over critics with Urvi. And now, she is all set to win hearts in this week’s release,Operation Alamelamma, as the young school teacher Ananya, who doesn’t mind bunking her own classes! Shraddha tells us about her character, the movie and her lessons in the film industry.
Ananya seems like a pretty interesting young lady. Tell us more about her…
She’s a young girl who has quite a lot of responsibilities. She’s a school teacher, but is someone who doesn’t like being serious or responsible; she would rather watch a movie, even if it means bunking her own class. Even though she may look like a responsible woman, dressed in a sari and with a dignified job, she’s a child at heart. Those are Ananya’s contradictions.
Do you relate to Ananya?
I can’t recall any of what I shot for being anything familiar to what I have experienced in the past. The only part of Ananya’s character that I can relate to is that she is full of life and likes to have fun. I’m the younger child and have grown up a little pampered. So, I’m like her in that sense.
Do you approach work the way your character does?
I am not someone who takes complete risks. I do like picking off-beat characters and films, but I will always measure the risks in the decision I take. Sometimes, there are interesting scripts, but the team is really new, so you never know if they will have enough money to see it through. This is not my time to take risks; I’m really new and have a lot to do. Perhaps, five years later, I will be open to experimenting, since at that time I won’t have much to lose. But right now, I do. With this film, my character is great and it’s made by Suni sir, so I know that it will reach the right audience.
What are your takeaways from this movie?
I always believed that I couldn’t do commercial cinema; I thought that I am here to do serious and intelligent films. But Operation Alamelamma is commercial in its own way and after doing it, I realized that I would love to do more such films. Not everyone wants to watch thrillers and serious films. Urvi was dark, but a lot of people will like to watch this film. I also realized that I can do comedy. It’s been like self-realization.
As a young actor in this day and age, do you feel the pressure of being judged?
There is a lot of pressure. People who have liked me since U-Turn would be disappointed if I did run-of-the-mill films. There comes the first responsibility — to pick the right films. Our lives are on social media these days, so it becomes very easy to comment about someone. When I was not in films, I would have also spoken casually about the films that others have done, but I now realize how difficult it is. There are fans and then there are people who say things just for the heck of it. Initially, I would reply to every tweet, even trolls. Then someone told me to stop feeding the trolls and to ignore them. I have learnt over time that radio silence is the best way to go about it. I don’t let such people affect me now.
Finally, how do you chill out?
I have become a home bird. When I am not shooting, I love being at home and catching up on my alone time. When I am sick of being at home, I step out to meet friends. I love catching a play over the weekend, but it’s been a while since I have done that. Every time I watch a play I become nostalgic about the life I had before films.