‘This is a rebirth for me in Kollywood’

When we walked into Mehreen Pirzada’s caravan during lunch hour, she was busy going through her lines, which she had neatly written down and filed. The actress, who’s shooting in the city for her film with Dhanush, which is being directed by

Durai Senthilkumar

, tells us, “While I understand

Telugu

and even dub for my films, I’m not very fluent in Tamil; I’m still learning and understanding the language. Our co-director helps me with my lines. Once I get the modulation correct, I memorise my lines and write down the meaning of the dialogues in Hindi and then, speak in Tamil. I’ve just started… I am sure I will pick up the language. It’s not difficult.”

The actress joined the team over a month ago. “I think producer garu had watched my Telugu film, F2 - Fun and Frustration, and liked my performance as Honey. They thought I was apt for this role and got in touch with my manager. This is a rebirth for me in Kollywood,” says Mehreen, who’d debuted in the industry with Nenjil Thunivirundhal.

Does she regret the choices she made before? “Not at all. Touchwood, life is always not a bed of roses. Sometimes, the choices you make teach you a thing or two. That’s why I waited for the best opportunity when I wanted to restart my career in Kollywood. This one is with Dhanush and the producers are well respected in the industry. It’s a dream come true for me. I am so glad they gave me this second chance that I really needed,” she says.

While Mehreen is reluctant to divulge more details about the film, she tells us that she plays a confident woman who is sure about what she wants in life. “She is very practical and sure about her choices. In fact, there are many shades to this character,” she states.
The actress is also upbeat about the team she’s working with. “The ambience on the set is very positive.

Everyone is supportive and they give me feedback,” she says. And Dhanush? “He is such a good actor! All his shots are one take! He is so sure and knows what he is doing. He just has a glimpse at the scene paper and it’s fixed in his mind. It’s so nice and inspiring to see a superstar like him work. Since this is a new language for me, I take extra care to get everything right. Dhanush always tells me that I will get it right and doesn’t make me feel anxious. Everyone is very helpful on the set,” she says.

One of Mehreen’s biggest hits in Telugu was F2, which also had

Venkatesh

, Varun Tej and Tamannaah in the star cast. Now that there’s talk of a sequel, would she like to be a part of it, too? “Definitely! I don’t think F3 can be made without Honey. I think director Anil sir wants to make it like a Golmaal franchise, and I am sure all of us would love to be a part of it. I don’t think F3 will be F3 if not for all the people in F2. I’ve done two films with Anil sir and the amount of love that I got for Honey is just unexplainable,” she says.

Today, multilinguals are a trend in the industry, with films like Saaho being made in four languages. Ask Mehreen if this can help the cast and crew reach a wider market easily, and she says, “Before dwelling into the business side of it, I think we need to look at the kind of effort they put in the project to make it in so many languages. I’ve worked with the producers of Saaho and I know how much hard work they have done for over two years. The effort everyone puts in is massive. Now, for an actor to do multilinguals, if he/she is comfortable with all the languages, it’s going to be easier. For me, a film in Telugu, Punjabi and Hindi would be far easier than doing a film in, say other languages. I’ve been a part of a bilingual; Nenjil Thunivirundhal was also made in Tamil and Telugu, and at that point, Tamil was completely new to me, though I was accustomed to Telugu. If I have to work in languages I am not used to, I have to put in 10 times more the effort. And if that film works and gives you a good reach, there’s nothing more joyous than that.”

Apart from being a trained Bharatanatyam dancer, Mehreen is also an adventure junkie, and has spent her growing up years trekking and hiking. So, is she still into it now? “No yaar, not now. When I travel, I try to hike a bit. But now, I’m really busy with films, and all my energy goes in learning my lines,” she says with a laugh, even as she starts scanning through her lines again.