Walking the ramp and then turning to rendering dialogues in front of the camera for a film is becoming passé across all industries. A number of models-turned-actors and successful ones have proved that a size zero figure is not all that they can flaunt! Hannah Reji, a Miss Kerala and Miss South India finalist, is currently trying to shrug off her size zero by putting on eight kilos for her debut film and has more kilos to pile on for her role.
Hannah’s stint as a model got her a role in the Jijo Antony-directed Darwinte Parinamam as the second lead which has Prithviraj and Chemban Vinod in lead roles.
Talking about her first day, she gets excited. “I play a traditional but bold girl in the film. My first shot was a rude and angry confrontation with Chemban. I guess I did well considering that the shot was okayed in two takes.”
Hannah, who has plenty of experience walking the ramp, was not nervous in front of the camera. “The whole crew was very friendly and more than nervousness, I was excited about working with such big stars. Everything about films is so new and fresh for me,” she says.
Though she does not have any prior acting experience, Hannah was part of a video titled Living Nirbhaya, released on Woman’s Day this year.
“It was a small video, which you can term as my first acting experience. I played Nirbhaya as well as another woman in the video, which required dramatic portrayal. I have also done some ads,” she said.
Hailing from an orthodox family, Hannah’s parents were adamant about her getting a professional degree which she did. Here’s the surprise; she is a dentist.
“I had always wanted to be a runway model. When I talked to my parents about pursuing my passion, they advised me about the insecure nature of the profession which is why I completed my professional course first. Being a doctor is also my father’s dream. Only after completing my BDS did I decide to try my luck in films. When I got the chance to act, I did not want to let it go,” she says.
Studies are still her priority and Hannah is looking to balance her career and passion equally. “I want to pursue my PG in future,” Hannah says.
Singing and drawing are also her hobbies which she has inherited from her singer father and artist mother.
