Full of intelligence, wit and humility, Kriti Kharbanda is an interviewer’s delight. A well-known name in Kannada film industry, the actor is excited to make her Kollywood debut with the GV Prakash Kumar-starrer Bruce Lee. Though she had signed a Tamil movie three years ago, she couldn’t do it as she was busy with Kannada projects.
“One of the first few ads I did was for a popular textile showroom in Chennai. That way, the city is close to my heart,” she says. Ask her about choosing her first Tamil film, she says, “More than anything I liked Bruce Lee’s script. I enjoyed working with the team; in fact I had blast shooting for this film. Director Prashanth has a child-like nature.”
Though she doesn’t belong to this city, Kriti is floored by the love and care she has been receiving from her crew. “I never felt I was away from home. Everybody made me feel comfortable. I was eating biryani almost every day as Prashanth would order it from different restaurants. It was such a sweet gesture,” she says.
Elaborating on the fun she had on the sets of Bruce Lee, she adds, “They made me learn swear words in Tamil. My character also needed that. She is somebody who has this you-can’t-mess-with-me attitude. Basically, Prashanth wanted me to be a ‘lady Prashanth’ in this one.”Ask her if she could identify herself with the character, she grins, “I’m not totally like that, but to an extent — yes.”
Kriti adds that the role is similar to what she is in real life. “I am not girlie; I don’t do girlie things. I am surrounded by guys most of the time. I hardly mingle with girls. So, playing a tomboy was so much fun.”
Having been in the Kannada film industry for more than five years, Kriti says she felt like a ‘pucca debutante’ when she was shooting in Chennai. “I was working on similar genres in Kannada for quite some time.
I cannot say I got bored, but I was looking for variety. Tamil cinema came as a fresh breath of air. Suddenly, everything seemed new. Working with new set of actors and technicians was a different experience altogether,” she shares.
Kriti believes what happens in the beginning of her career defines the rest of her life. “I realised that content and good roles define success. I only do films where I have something to contribute. Currently, I am shooting for Masti Gudi in Kannada and a Hindi film,” she smiles.
Talking about her future plans, she says she’d love to do a film with Suriya. “Kaakha Kaakha (2003) was the first Tamil film I watched. I fell in love with both Suriya and Jyothika. Also, I like Trisha,” she smiles.
Source: The New Indian Express