In an interview with The New Indian Express, actress Priya Anand recalls her journey so far in the film industry with nostalgia and shares her hopes to do more projects.
From the US to India:
My journey through the south Indian film industry has been a thrilling one.
Moving from the US to India, transitioning from modelling to acting, and straddling both the Tamil and Telugu film worlds has not always been easy, but for me, it was a dream come true.
I grew up in the US and my parents were hoping I would stay, and perhaps pursue cinema, there but I was sure I wanted to enter the Indian film industry. Here, the relationship the audience shares with cinema is special, and I wanted to be part of that.
Self evaluation:
Looking back, after having done four films and working on my fifth, ' 180' , I do realise I have made some mistakes. I didn’t go to an acting school, so I watch all my movies, spot where I have gone wrong and try to improve. I have earlier played the role of a village maiden. In ' 180' , I play an NRI—something I really am. I enjoyed playing both parts, though I think the village role was easier, since it’s always easier to play something you are not.
The '180' experience:
Working with director Jayendra, actors Siddharth and Nithya Menen and the entire crew of ' 180' had me working even harder to keep up to their amazing standards. We shot the film in both Telugu and Tamil, which might sound tedious, but since the languages were different, it lent a unique flavour to each scene, so it felt like we were making two movies.
Off-camera:
I have always been a very chatty person. On the sets, I was always chatting with the light men, and this helped with my language. Also, I have always been active on social networks like Facebook and Twitter. One of the reasons for this is that the public tends to associate you with the characters you play. Having accounts on social media sites allows me to be just who I am and lets others find out what I’m like as a person.
The Big Dream:
My dream has always been to work with director Shankar. After '180', I hope I’ll get an opportunity to work with him. I’d like to continue to be part of this industry and this world, so here’s hoping for the best.