When selecting her scripts, Priyamani seems to be an adventurer travelling into the human psyche, zeroing in on subjects which have a purpose. Be it the Tamil-hit Paruthiveeran, the Malayalam romantic drama Thirakkatha, or the bilingual horror film Chaarulatha, she has been mastering the craft of not just acting but choosing films too.
Now, with two movies in hand, she seems to be raising the bar. It is thanks to her talent and the genius of two others, Yogaraj Bhat (Bhatru) and Prakash Raj.
Priyamani will be seen in Bhatru’s romantic comedy Dana Kayonu and Prakash Raj’s thriller Idolle Ramayana.
“Bhatru’s project came through when he visited the sets of Dancing Star last year and narrated the story. The twists in my character’s persona attracted me. As for Idolle Ramayana, Prakash Raj called me while I was shooting for Dana Kayonu and given the intensity of the character, I accepted,” says Priyamani, clearly indicating that she is not after screen space or the remuneration, but the quality of the script, the character’s strength and the profile of the director.
Speaking about her roles in the films, the actress informs that in Bhatru’s film she will be seen de-glam.
“The film is set in a rural background and is a love story weaved with comedy. I play a character who aspires to be a police constable and is the only person in the entire village who knows a little English. It is an entertaining character, which finds a perfect balance with the hero (played by Duniya Vijay),” she says and adds that the shooting was also filled with laughter especially because of the humourous dialogues.
“His comic lines made the whole experience pleasant. It is a good product from Bhatru with whom I am associating with for the first time,” she adds.
Appreciating Vijay for his dedication, Priyamani shares an example. “The film has bulls and cows as significant characters. So there was cow dung too. A situation arises during the making of the teaser, when I hit Vijay on his back and he had to fall face-down into a lump of dung. Though the makers were ready to create a replica, he insisted on a real dung facial, retaking thrice. Hats off to the actor who could go to such an extent,” she says.
As for working with Prakash Raj in Idolle Ramayana, Priyamani says that she is still in awe of his talent. “It was my pleasure that he considered me to play an excellent character,” she notes.
The actress was given only a seven-day schedule, but she insists that she had gone by the character which was unique. “It is a very complex character which has certain shades of good and bad, but cannot be judged instantly. I am sure the role will create a lasting impression on everybody’s mind. The film is packaged quite well,” she says.
