Y Sunita Chowdhary
Priyamani was the centre of attention, especially in the Telugu film industry when The Family Man got talked about. The web series intruded the living rooms much before the lock down and we all noticed the publicity she got for her work. Huge hoardings dotted the roads in Jubilee Hills and Banjara Hills in Hyderabad. That was just the beginning, she is being offered interesting roles both in mainstream cinema and stories meant for digital release. She is also active on television reality shows. Straddling all the worlds in a beautiful and balanced manner, Priyamani is glad to be with her parents, and in a chat with Klapboardpost.com, she says, people still call her and keep talking about the web series (The Family Man) that she did some time ago and they haven’t forgotten it.
“I feel one shouldn’t be overseen in everything and take up anything that is offered despite the woman being a central part. We should carefully choose our stories, even if it means it is coming from a different platform. In the past few months, I have been offered a variety but I am taking my time to select them. It isn’t easy getting back to work due to the nature of the pandemic. The producers are taking time to sort out the precautions and safety measures and it will surely take time. It isn’t that we will begin working tomorrow or the day after, she states as a matter of fact and shares much more on her up and coming projects.
Second Coming
Just as The Family Man, there might be a lot of other shows with similar storylines or plots. As the title suggests, it is about how a government servant handles his personal and professional life. They have for that reason, didn’t establish a small portrayal of the family members. It isn’t just about Manoj sir’s character, there was his assistant who played JK, there was his wife and the children gave a comic relief. Every character has been given importance by Raj and DK with the twists and turns. The way Srikant Tiwari (Manoj Bajpai) handles his work leaves everyone wanting to see more. The next season should be coming by November.
Women calling the shots
We do have a lot of films where a woman has been portrayed in a different angle which is very normal. There is nothing wrong in playing a negative shade as long as it is convincing. It takes you to the next level and also it surprises the audience because they haven’t expected it. Last few years in the South, female centric films are getting importance. Earlier a woman was doing only horror stories or cop films but now it is not just about being a part of a dysfunctional family, she is actually carrying an entire film on her shoulders. People are liking it too. Samantha carried Oh Baby, it was such a cute role. She took it to the next level and Keerthy Suresh lived her character in Mahanati. A generation who doesn’t know Savitri got to see her and understand her life.
Reprising Manju Warrier
I am playing a villager in Narappa and a contemporary woman in The Family Man. It is difficult to pinpoint which of them is good because all the projects that I am associated with right now are fantastic, be it Virata Parvam or Narappa. The story line for both the films is exciting and my roles are very important to the stories. I am thankful to Suresh Productions, Venu Udugula and Srikanth Addala for considering me for their respective projects. Coming to Narappa, I thought Manju Chechi was fabulous, she is the lady super star of Malayalam industry. I am a huge fan and I am honoured to reprise her role in Telugu. I will be adding a little bit of my own flavour to the character and all said and done, Manju chechi stands apart.
As Bharatakka
Virata Parvam has an amazing story. This will definitely make people sit up and appreciate the characters. Be it Rana, Sai Pallavi or Naveen Chandra, they all have done a great job. It is one of a kind film. People wouldn’t have seen Rana in such a role. I am also happy playing an important part in the story. Director Venu Udugula was one of the assistant directors in Pellaina Kotthalo that happened in 2005. I forgot about it and he reminded me. He showed me the photo that was taken at that time when the look test was going on. Venu wanted me to be Bharatakka in Virata Paravam and said if I refused, he wouldn’t know whom to approach for that character. People might hate me towards the end of the story but it is a good role.
Enjoying being a workaholic
I was never away from cinema and I was always working. I was doing Malayalam and Hindi films, there were reality shows. Three or four days after marriage, I resumed work. It wasn’t a conscious decision to take a break from Telugu cinema, I was only waiting for a good story. It took time for me to accept and get convinced with a role. I am happy and fortunate to be a part of some very interesting projects, be it Ajay Devgan starrer Maidaan or Prakash’s Sirivennela. Dr 56 is a Kannada and Tamil bilingual. Be it a relatively new director or an established one, I am very glad to be a part of the team, they are all talented people with nice stories to tell.
Lockdown philosophy
It is heart-warming to note that people are keeping us in mind while writing important roles and I am ready to work 24 hours a day. I am there as long as the industry wants me. I am with my parents right now in Bengaluru, earlier during the lockdown, I was with my husband. What else can we do now, other than going out for grocery shopping? No matter how big a person you are, at the end of the day, it is about being happy with the simplest things that life offers. I am happy with dal, roti or curd rice and spending time with family. The pandemic has tested everyone’s patience and we have learnt to value everything – money, time, space and relationships.
