I am secure in my role: Hansika
The bubbly Hansika speaks to DC about her co-star Vijay
By : anupama subramanian
Update: 2015-09-30 00:42 GMT
Hansika, who is part of the fantasy adventure film Puli and is romancing Vijay for the second time, seems to be in a jubilant mood. The film, which has generated a lot of buzz owing to its grand scale, is hitting the marquee in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi markets simultaneously on October 1. The bubbly Hansika speaks about her co-star Vijay, her bond with Sridevi, not intimidated with the presence of Shruti Haasan and fear of ghosts in an exclusive to DC.
“So far in my career, I was never part of fantasy movie. It’s one of the toughest films I have ever worked in. I play a princess Mandhakini and people call me ‘Ilavarasi’ in the film. Portraying a princess may appear fascinating! But performing with heavy jewels, headgears (crown) and costumes, it wasn’t easy to pull it off! All said and done, Puli is a life-changing film in my career”, Hansika says in an excited tone.
Hansika, who takes normally 45 minutes to get ready for her shots says Puli’s character demanded three hours to get prepared. “Though we did not take any reference for my looks, it was director Chimbudeven, the art director and costume designer who sat with me and discussed before each look was finalised. I would start work as early as 6 am. By the time I get ready with complete costume, hair and makeup, it would be 9 am. I couldn’t sit and relax even during break time because I had to sit in a particular posture”.
The moment you talk about her co-star Vijay, the Romeo Juliet star gets spirited. “Since this is the second time I am teaming up with Vijay after Velayudham, we share a great comfort levels. He is one of the most versatile actors in the industry. And dance being his forte, he would never get irritated if others fumbled during a shot. He would wait patiently and even give his valuable inputs to enhance. It was a pleasure working with him”.
On working with Bollywood diva Sridevi, Hansika says it was an enriching experience. “I play her daughter in the movie which meant we acted in many scenes together. She is an amazing person. The best part is that both her and my Zodiac sign is Leo. We shared many similarities and bonded very well (smiles)”. The actress says that she is a secure person and never got perturbed with the presence of another heroine in the film. “People keep asking me this question. I am very self-assured and a secure person. I know very well what I have to do in the film and even as Chimbudeven narrated the script, he was very clear about my portions. I focussed only on my part and work towards augmenting it. Shruti and I did have a combo scene towards the climax scene, which went on smoothly”, she asserts.
Being a period film, did she find the dialogues complex to enunciate? (Laughs) “Not really! I could manage most of it. But there’s a scene where I talk to Vijay in a poetic and rhythmic manner. Everyone thought I was going to make a mistake but much to their surprise, I completed it in a single take”. Hansika acting as a ghost seemed to have pioneered the ‘horror’ trend in Tamil cinema recently.
Quiz her on whether or not she believes in paranormal activities, she replies, “I don’t know whether ghosts exist or not, but I get very scared even to watch a horror film. It’s been ages since I watched one. As a child I remember watching Bhoot directed by Ram Gopal Varma. As soon as the movie started, I was shivering and could not sit through it. I walked out in 15 minutes. While watching my own flick Aranmanai, during those spooky scenes, either I held my mom’s hands tightly or bent down my head closing my ears tightly,” she says on a concluding note.