What Mandre wants

Acting to you is…                  
Life — because that’s everything I know. That’s the only thing I can picture myself doing.

A superpower you wish you had?
I’d want to know what men think of me — like in the movie What Women Want, where Mel Gibson has the power to read what women want.

Favourite horror film?   
I absolutely love horror films, so I was over the moon when I was offered this role. I’ve seen every horror film possible — from Paranormal Activity to Insidious. But my favourite has to be The Conjuring.

A song you’d never delete from a playlist?
That would have to be Shape of You by Ed Sheeran.

An actress you admire?     
As clichéd as it sounds, I’d have to say Meryl Streep. She fits into every character so effortlessly. Some people say she’s overrated but they’re wrong about it. She’s definitely one of the finest actresses we have in Hollywood. Every film of hers is character-based and when you look at her, you feel like it’s a new actor doing the role.

A trait that not many people know about you?
I’m an avid book reader. The last book I read was Detox your Ego. It’s one of those inspirational and positive reads.

Tell us about your role in Aake?
Aake is a horror film — it’s a suspense thriller. I’ve always done action or romantic comedies. I play a young mother who’s finding it hard to make ends meet as she’s gone through a lot of trauma.

All-time favourite movie?
The Notebook, Scarface and Godfather.

How was it working with director Chaitanya KM?
This is the first time I’ve worked with him. I really enjoyed it. He made me aware of the entire script before shooting.

Directors you like?                        
I like Sanjay Leela Bhansali — he always makes cinema look so brilliant. As for Hollywood, my pick would be the amazing Quentin Tarantino.

— As told to Ikyatha Yerasala