Sree Dhanya was meddling with teaching, TV shows, and a ‘little bit of acting’ when director Balachandra Menon spotted her. He offered her something challenging, the lead role of Gayathri in his directorial next Njan Samvidhanam Cheyyum. Sree Dhanya says she didn’t have to think twice before accepting it because she knew this was one chance to explore the artist in her.
“I had done a bit of acting in movies, mainly blink-and-miss roles. But, Menon sir saw me interviewing Jayaram for a TV programme and thought I would be perfect as his Gayathri and that’s how I bagged the role. But, beyond that, what Menon sir gave me was an incredible opportunity to perform, to know the professional side of movies and above all a valuable experience that moulded me as an actor,” says the actor, who is doing her PhD in social work.
Like any other ‘Balachandra Menon finds’, Sree Dhanya too will be known by her onscreen name ‘Gayathri’. (Balachandra Menon says Sree Dhanya was so influenced by her character that she wanted to take the name).
Ideally, for her, there is every reason for wanting to be known as Gayathri as the training she got for Njan Samvidhanam Cheyyum was very edifying.
“Until then, I had not got an opportunity to train myself for a role, maybe because the ones I did were not that important. But, Menon sir took the pains to help me sink into the character. He described to me the depths of the character, how she would behave in a certain circumstance and what her mental makeup would be. Basically, it was a teaching ground for me,” says the actor, who will play Balachandra Menon’s wife and a mother of a teen in the movie.
But, did she have any apprehension playing a character much older than her self? “Not at all. I had always dreamt of a performance-oriented role and this fitted the bill. Gayathri is your typical family woman but she is not merely a prop, she is bold and a social role model,” says Sree Dhanya.
And, as she prepares for the release of the movie on September 18, Sree Dhanya aka Gayathri says she hasn’t planned or thought much about the future. “I did get a few offers, but I wanted them to wait for the release of Njan Samvidhanam Cheyyum. As of now, I am really anxious about my viva exams due in a month. Completing my PhD is right next on my charts,” says the ‘very-academic’ actor.