Not dependent on luck alone

Being signed on for her first film in a lead role should be enough reason for Shweta Gai to sit back and rejoice! The 20-year-old model from Chennai will be acting in a film directed by debutant Srikanth, opposite Sathya, another newbie; and as a no-nonsense journalist that too!

“We have been shooting for the past few days and the team is very sweet. Playing a bold girl; I practically slipped into the role like a glove,” she gushes. She also has the opportunity of working alongside veterans like Mime Gopi, Ajay Ghosh and others in the movie.

Having just graduated from Ethiraj College, Shweta has been modeling since her second year of college. “Modelling has been a passion for me and I never thought my family would agree to my choice. But my mother has been very supportive of it,” she says. She’s also intent on expanding her portfolio to Kuwait and Dubai, a step towards her dream of making a mark on the international scene. Shweta has walked for many well-known designers and choreographers in the city, going on to feature in advertisements as well. An appearance in Vikram Prabhu’s Idhu Enna Maayam and Anirudh Ravichander’s  Avalukena music video followed.

And now a feature film… it’s enough to start looking at a future in the film industry and Shweta couldn’t be happier about it. “I want to go with the flow — take one small step at a time. I’m not dependent on luck alone and everything happened because of my focus and hardwork,” she tells us. But she must have a list of actors or directors that she wants to work with…? “Ashwin Saravanan of Maya fame and Gautham Menon; it’s not just one particular director. I want to work with someone who will give me the best script for a woman, who shows that she can act. So many people are sick of seeing women as glamorous additions,” Shweta asserts.

So what next? “Right now, I’m pursuing my Masters in Psychology as a distance education course. My mother is a special needs teacher and she wants to start a school for children with special needs. I want to be a part of it as an administrator. I have another year left of the course,” she states confidently.