Shanthi Priya reveals her 'only' challenge in playing Sarojini Naidu
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After a 20-year break, veteran actor Shanthi Priya is making a triumphant return to celluloid with a biopic about freedom fighter and poet Sarojini Naidu. While speaking to the Hindustan Times, Priya expressed, "I am more than blessed that this is my comeback film." "We have shot two schedules, and one is still left because the permission and formalities are pending from the UP government as we want to shoot in those original places because she was the UP governor."
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Priya's take on playing Naidu's character
Talking about her role as the influential historical figure, Priya shared, "It was beautiful to get into her shoes; one has to be blessed to do her biopic. She empowered women back then, and her fashion sense was also on point." "The only thing that was challenging was putting on weight, around 10-15 kilos. Otherwise, skin tone, way of talking, and walking are all the same," she added.
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Priya opens up about her hiatus from cinema
The 54-year-old actor also opened up about her personal reasons for stepping away from the industry. "I was getting all the bhabhi and behen ke characters (sister and sister-in-law type characters) when I left. Moreover, my marriage was an intercaste, so I had to give my best to know them and focus on my family. I had to do justice to my marriage; I wasn't able to put one leg in both the boats."
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Just want to do strong characters: Priya
As OTT platforms gain popularity, Priya is adapting her approach to roles and addressing the impact of social media on casting decisions. "Now the content is so strong, and we have so many platforms of OTT. I am not looking just for the main lead roles now. I just want to do strong characters, who are the support system of the protagonist. Even if the screen time is less, I want people to talk about my character," she said.