Priya Bhavani Shankar who became a household name thanks to the popularity of the soap, Kalyanam Mudhal Kadhal Varai, is happy that her debut as the lead in Meyaadha Maan has got her a lot of recognition. She tells CE, “I never expected such an overwhelming response from the audience. When I knew Karthik Subbaraj was going to produce the film, I wanted to associate myself with the project. I knew Karthik wouldn’t commit to a project he wasn’t sure of. The film had lots of good actors as well. So, I didn’t want to let the offer go.”
The idea wasn’t to release Meyaadha Maan with Mersal, she quickly adds. “We never wanted to compete with a big project like that. In fact, it was a last moment decision to release the film for Diwali. Meyaadha Maan wasn’t a competitor for Mersal. We just released alongside Vijay’s film.”
The actress isn’t in a hurry to sign films. “I am not keen on doing a lot of films. I only sign up for projects that I am comfortable with,” she smiles. Ask Priya about the rumours of her signing Vijay Sethupathi’s Junga and Karthi’s film directed by Pandiraj, and she stays silent. “I don’t want to comment on those. I’d rather wait for an official confirmation from the respective production units,” she says.
Priya says her upcoming projects are very different from Meyaadha Maan. “I am open to trying out various genres. My only condition is that the projects I accept must treat women with dignity and respect. I know I am not heroine material. I’m more of a performer. I am also not interested in doing glamour roles. I want to do films which I can watch proudly with my family!”