She proved her mettle in a string of Tollywood and Kollywood films including hits like ‘Yaradi Nee Mohini’, ‘Jayma Kondon’ and ‘Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu’. Now Saranya Mohan is set to make her debut in Mollywood in a leading role in ‘Chemistry’ directed by Vinu Kiriyath.
For the girl from Alappuzha, tinsel world was never alien territory. We have seen her as a child artist in Fazil’s ‘Aniyathipravu’. Having set her feet in three film industries in the south, Saranya is now a busy actor. Her first Telugu film, ‘Village Lo Vinayakudu’ is set to release soon while her latest Tamil flick ‘Aarumugam’ directed by Suresh Krishna has already hit the screen. Saranya is now shooting for the Telugu movie ‘Bhimlee Kabaddi Jattu’, a remake of the Tamil blockbuster ‘Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu’.
She stars opposite Nani in the movie.
Saranya is excited about making her debut as a heroine in Malayalam. “’Chemistry’ is my first Malayalam film in which I play the female lead. I am looking forward to a positive response from the audience in my home state,” she says. Vineeth, Mukesh, Silpabala and Bipin are her co-stars in the film. But why did she step out of home turf to try her luck in tinseltown? “All this while I was waiting for the right movie to make my debut as a heroine in Malayalam,” Saranya says. Her dance teacher, who is the sister of Vinu Kiriyath, introduced her to the director, paving the way for her selection in the film. “I liked the film’s script the moment I heard it. I hope the film will give me a good beginning in the Malayalam film industry.
‘Chemistry’ is a heroine-oriented film. I play a 16-year-old Malayali girl brought up in the US who joins a school in her native place in Kerala.
Though brought up in the US, she is like a village girl. The film tells how of mobile phones adverse affect the lives of students. It sends a strong message to society.” Saranya is happy that her Tamil film ‘Aarumugam’ is running to packed houses. “I play the sister of the hero played by Bharath. The movie is a rags to riches story of a youth from a wayside teashop. The film shows the strong bonding between the sister and the brother,” Saranya says.
Daughter of dance teachers YKB Mohan and Kalamandalam Devi Mohan, Saranya was passionate about dance from a young age. Her parents run a dance school at Thondankulanghara in Alappuzha. Saranya’s entry into movies was quite accidental. “My sister Sukanya and I have been learning dance since childhood and it was our desire to become renowned dancers. Becoming an actress was not even in my distant dream!” When she was in class III, her father took her to his friend and director Fazil’s house.
“That was at a time when discussions about his movie ‘Aniyathipravu’ were on. Fazil uncle selected me as one of the child artists for the movie.” Saranya also appeared in the Tamil remake of the film directed by Fazil. She was seen in ‘Harikrishnans’ and ‘Rakthasakshikal Sindhabad’ before she took a break to focus on studies and dance. But when Fazil offered her a role in his Tamil film ‘Orunal Orukanavu’ when she was in class XII, Saranya couldn’t resist.
“The film was only an average hit. But I received many offers from Kollywood soon after.” Since Saranya was hesitant to build a career in Kollywood she rejected the offers.
She then acted in serials like ‘Manasariyathe’ directed by Rajesh Kannankara on Surya TV and ‘Swami Ayyapan’ on Asianet.
Saranya was pursuing her degree at St Joseph’s College for Women, Alappuzha, when she was offered a role in ‘Yaradee Nee Mohini’ produced by Kasturi Raja. “The role came through Fazil’s manager Babh Shahir. Though I was not keen on pursuing a career in movies my uncle, Vijayakumar, urged me and my parents to meet Kasthuri Raja. The film turned out to be a hit.” Saranya was flooded with offers.
“I now enjoy being an actor. My aim is to become a good actor and dancer. I’ll try my best to make this dream come true.”
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