Bheemla Nayak, Virupaksha, Kaduva, Bimbisara, Vaathi… the kind of films that stay with you long after the credits roll. And then there was Samyuktha, walking onto a college stage for TEDx VNRVJIET, not as a star promoting a film, but as someone pausing to share, reflect, and reconnect with a very different side of herself. The actress talks to CE about talking at TEDx, movies, dream collaborations and more.
Samyuktha admits that stepping onto that stage brought back an energy she had not felt in years, especially because it was not the usual kind of public speaking she is used to. Reflecting on the experience, the actress says, “Feels good, because I have not done any talking gig for the last 10 years. Of course, it was all serious work when you came. I take my work really seriously. Do shoots, promotions, and that is it, and mostly give speeches in an inauguration or a pre-release event, and that is different, you are not touching topics which are very deep or into my core. So here I got an opportunity, and I liked those familiar feelings after so many years.”
Over the years, her understanding of success has also undergone a quiet but significant change. Looking back at her early days in cinema, she reflects, “In the very initial days, I thought that one success was going to change everything for me, and it became a deep craving to see that success. Once I got that one success, I felt I needed a bigger success, and this continued a couple of times, and then suddenly it dropped, as it did for me. I saw a very big success, and then a couple of films did not do well in theatres, so it was always a navigation. At one point, I realised life cannot go through these ups and downs, so I learned it is the everyday success of the process that matters.”
Working across languages has only added to this understanding of people and emotions. Talking about how it has shaped her, she highlights, “The fact is that the more exposure I get, the more refined I become and my experience grows, because every state and regions have different textures and terrain, and I get to interact with many people and open up to such experiences. I learn a lot, and that helps in acting, because if I cannot empathise and feel emotions, I may not bring them out right, and I like talking and listening to people, which adds to my exposure.”
Her approach to acting, she explains, is rooted in trust, especially in the director’s vision. She notes, “It depends on the need, as I am someone who chooses different types of cinema, and I am an actor who works according to what the director wants. Few directors come with a clear idea of the scene and a very crisp shot division, so you perform and move on. When the filmmaking is organic and allows space, I do my own improvisations. However, the director always has the bigger picture, and every scene carries a rhythm like a song.”
When it comes to choosing roles, her process has evolved just as much as her idea of success. She expresses, “The primary goal, the reason I pick a character is that I can crack it, and if I cannot understand the character itself, then I will not go ahead with the film. That is my selection process, not about numbers or scale or actors. Earlier, my wisdom was different, but now if I feel the character, I do it and if I am not feeling it, there is no way I can act on it.”
For Samyuktha, however, the final decision always comes down to the story itself. She explains, “I believe a story should have truth in itself, and you know it when you hear it, like when a friend tells a random story and you can feel how much is real. At the same time, I look for characters that are multi-dimensional and nuanced, because that shows the writer has truly written it, and that is my search.”
Looking ahead, she has an exciting lineup that reflects her growing range. Sharing details, she highlights, “Yes, I have a series of lineup, one is Swayambhu which is a historical period film where I am playing a warrior, and then there is The Black Gold which is a female-centric movie, though I would love to call it a character-driven film, and then there is Slumdog - 33 Temple Road with Puri Jagannadh sir and Vijay Sethupathi, Benz in Tamil and Haindava in Telugu.”