Actor Simran on retracing to Bollywood and completing 25 years in Tamil cinema

Simran
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

One of Simran’s most memorable characters is Indira from Mani Ratnam’s 2002 Tamil film Kannathil Muthamittal and it is no coincidence that her upcoming Hindi film Gulmohar also stars her in a character with the same name. “ Gulmohar’s director Rahul V Chittella is a huge fan of Mani sir and he loves Kannathil Muthamittal,” says Simran, on a call from Mumbai amidst promotions.

Excerpts:

You started your film journey with Bollywood before making a name for yourself in the South. How did it feel to go back to where it all began?

OTT has brought the world together and language is not a barrier now. Though I started in Bollywood, my destiny and luck took me to the South. My knowledge, when it comes to acting, comes from the amazing colleagues and seniors I have had the opportunity to work with from the South. That confidence has made me take up new roles.

What about ‘Gulmohar’ intrigued you the most?

It’s been a while since we had such a breezy family story, given how OTT is filled with thrillers, sci-fi and action content. I believe that irrespective of gender, it’s impossible to achieve anything without the support of family members… and this film is about love, differences, togetherness and unity within a family.

Director Rahul has followed my work in films like Vaaranam Aayiram and was keen on having me in his film even though he was apprehensive in the beginning because he thought I didn’t know Hindi (laughs).

I actually felt proud when he said that. It was nice to play Indira again and the mother of three children again, albeit the fact that they’re grown-ups.

When doing a realistic film like ‘Gulmohar,’ do you take cues from your real-life experiences or is it the other way around where your role influences your personal life?

When mouthing dialogues or even when discussing scenes, you definitely get influenced by your real-life experiences and you would start giving your opinions on how the character could react. Similarly, when you do something on screen, the character stays with you even when you go back home. Entertainment really impacts our personal lives and vice versa. This is why a film like Gulmohar is important where, despite a mix of various characters, you can find one relatable to you. Rahul has worked with Mira Nair for more than a decade, so you can imagine the depth of emotions he would have touched.

With ‘Gulmohar,’ you also have had the chance to work with veterans like Sharmila Tagore and Amol Palekar…

It was a wonderful experience. She (Sharmila) was perfect when it came to working as well as discipline. Similarly, Amol Palekar is a fantastic actor to share screen space with, given his immense experience in theatre. I also had the opportunity to work with Manoj (Bajpayee) ji, an excellent actor, and Suraj Sharma, who started his career with Life of Pi.

As someone who has seen the film industry for so long, how do you see the change in the way women characters are written?

It’s visible that better women characters are being written and equal importance is given to both the male and female leads in many films these days. It also comes to writing characters based on the actor’s potential. In Ponniyin Selvan 1, despite it being a drama and mainly about male characters, the ones portrayed by Aishwarya Rai and Trisha had their own recognisable screen space.

You have also completed 25 years in the Tamil film industry. How has it been and what’s your next move?

I’ve literally grown up along with the industry. I have done several genres across different mediums and platforms, and they have all added to the learning. I am also glad about the versatile characters I’ve gotten over the years which, I believe, is what the audience expects. I want to keep acting and given a chance, produce new content that can introduce new talent.

Gulmohar will stream on Disney+ Hotstar from March 3