Ang Lee knows everything about classical dance: Shravanthi

She���s just 17 and has never faced a movie camera in her life, but Chennai girl Shravanthi Sainath has managed to give Kollywood and Bollywood a miss and head straight to Hollywood. Her debut in Ang Lee���s Life of Pi is, as she describes it, a ���dream come true.���
And she has her dance school to thank for that. ���A couple of years ago, my dance teacher (Sheela Unnikrishnan) got a request for a fresh face to be cast in a Hollywood flick and she sent some of my photos.After I was shortlisted, the crew had an audition and screen test and before I realized what was happening, I was in,��� she recalls.
After another test at Taiwan, Shravanthi was officially part of Life of Pi. ���It was a dream to stand in front of the camera and I���m glad it happened with such a big film,��� she beams, ���I play a 16-year-old girl in the film; it���s the role of a Tamil girl from Pondicherry.���
Working with Oscar-winning director Ang Lee was a big learning experience for this youngster. ���You can feel the warmth when you interact with him. Despite all his achievements, he���s simple and down to earth. And, he knows everything about classical dance! It shows the passion he has for cinema and the subject he wants to shoot,��� she adds.
Having no prior acting experience, she says she just followed the director���s instructions on the sets. ���You should watch him when he teaches you a scene ��� it���s fascinating,��� she reveals, ���He makes sure that I get everything, including the dialogue and the expressions right, during practise itself so that all is smooth during the actual filming.���
Shravanthi, who is currently preparing for the Class 12 board exams, is looking at the film industry in a big way in the future. Ask her about her role model and she says immediately, ���Aishwarya Rai Bachchan; I���m not a fan of her, I���m a devotee. She���s so good in everything she does.��� About Tabu, who is also part of the cast, she says, ���I���ve grown up watching Tabu���s films and it���s an honour that I���m part of a movie that features her as well.���
So, will she give up dance if she gets more offers from tinseltown? ���Not at all,��� signs off Shravanthi, ���After all, isn���t it because of dance that I got this prestigious offer in the first place?���