“My biggest dream is to work with Mohanlal and Rajinikanth, but…please don’t tell me to act as their mother….do I look that old…I don’t think so and neither my age qualifies that criteria,” says Saranya Ponvannan in a cheerful tone.
The actor who is busy juggling movie sets in Kollywood has no regrets that she is being offered ‘motherly’ roles in Tamil movies after she made a comeback to the film industry. Sharanya has appeared as the on-screen mother of most superstars in Kollywood. Even the Malayali audience had applauded her performance in the recent release Kolamavu Kokila where she appeared as Nayantara’s mother. Her must watch performance list will definitely be a long one with Velaiyilla Pattathari and Thenmerku Paruvakaatru for which she won the National Award for Best Actress being the inevitable ones.
Saranya will next appear in the Madhupal directorial, Tovino-starrer Oru Kuprasidha Payyan. But her association with Mollywood is not recent. She debuted in Mollywood through 1989 release Artham, where she was paired opposite Mammootty. However, her journey as the lead heroine ended when she decided to take a break from the movies after her marriage.
Getting vocal about her journey in the movies, Saranya says, “I have had very memorable and satisfying journey in the film industry ever since I decided to act. The break I took has never hampered that. And if you ask me if I have any qualms of not doing lead roles, I will wholeheartedly say ‘no’ because for me movies are not all about doing lead roles”, she says.
“I am a creative person and belonging to a family that is connected to the film industry, being a part of movies has always been a fun experience for me and I am here to explore my creative side without compromising on the responsibilities of my personal life. In addition to being passionate, I believe that priorities in life change and a responsible person will change their decisions according to those priorities. I personally feel that there was no point in me running behind my passion if I had to compromise on the responsibilities I had to fulfil as a wife, mother and a homemaker. Moreover, I strongly feel that there is no fixed time to live your passion,” she adds.
Commenting on whether getting married or decisions like not doing glamorous roles can take away the opportunities from female actors, film industry being a male-dominated sector, Saranya says, “I will never agree to the notion that doing glamorous role can only help you survive in the industry. I would like to give the example of Nazriya Nazim. She is such a brilliant actor who got married when she was in her early twenties. Yet she is doing very well. She even took a break of a few years, but when a role suited for her was written, she did take up the role. Even Nadhiya Moidu can also be mentioned in this regard.”
Their charm and talent are enough to make them superstars. The fact that Saranya won the National Award for best actress by doing a motherly role is the testimony to it.
When asked about her affinity towards Malayalam cinema, an overwhelmed Saranya says that she is a die-hard fan of Mollywood and that it has always been her privilege to have been associated with the industry.
“My father A.B Raj has directed almost 65 Malayalam movies, and therefore my exposure to the language and the movies made in Malayalam was obviously more. My love of Malayalam movies started ever since my childhood, and I would happily say that despite living in Chennai and married to a person from Tamil Nadu, I only watch Malayalam movies whenever I sit down to watch television. The only thing which is keeping me away from doing more movies in Mollywood is because I am required to stay away from home. I agree to do the Tamil movies only on the condition that I can come home once it is a pack up. Moreover, I can stay back when I do not shoot,” she says.
Saranya who adds that it was director Madhupal’s call and the script of the movie that persuaded her to do Oru Kuprasidha Payyan is of the opinion that the treatment given to the storyline is very different and organic.
Sharing her experience about working with the young block of actors in Mollywood, Saranya says, “I could very well gel with the young actors mainly because I am very welcoming in terms of the views and opinions that the young generation has. I may have many restrictions when I started my career, but it makes me happy to see that the actors of the present generation are far more professional in their approach,” she concludes.
