Revathy says her work as an actor and a filmmaker hinges on emotions and she is naturally drawn to stories about women.

In all her feature-length directorial movies, such as the 2002 National Award-winning Mitr and 2004 Phir Milenge, Revathy has presented women who realise their strength as they navigate an emotionally rich narrative. Her latest release, Salaam Venky, follows a mother, played by Kajol, who fights for her dying son’s (Vishal Jethwa) right to dignity.

Salaam Venky also stars Rahul Bose, Rajeev Khandelwal, Prakash Raj, Kamal Sadanah and Aahana Kumra in key roles.

“I just connect with women characters and roles because I know I can get their deepest emotions. It is natural that I get drawn to such characters. Human stories, emotions, and relationships interest me. All my films as a director and an actor have had these,” said Revathy, who returned to helming a full-fledged Hindi film after an 18-year hiatus.

“Somewhere, I felt I have lagged behind in the way films are being made, or stories are being told. But then, whatever it is, human emotion is the same no matter how modern we become. That is my strength,” she added.

Salaam Venky is inspired by the true story of the young chess player Kolavennu Venkatesh, who had Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). He died in 2004.

DMD is a genetic disorder that causes skeletal and heart muscle weakness that worsens with time. Venkatesh's death sparked a debate about euthanasia in India, commonly known as mercy killing.

“The most important thing is the spirit to live life to the fullest, which is what attracted me. And that is what the story is even today,” said Revathy.

Kajol was the first choice to play the role of Sujata, said the director. Revathy lent her voice to the actor in the 1997 Tamil film Minsara Kanavu (Sapnay in Hindi).

“I felt this character needed somebody who is a mother,” she said.

Aamir Khan features in a cameo appearance. “He was convinced with the story, and he trusted me as a director,” the filmmaker said.

She also said she followed no set process with her actors to “induce” emotions.

“Sometimes we do a lot of rehearsals and sometimes we just go for one take. When things do not work out, we go more but not again too much because I feel the actors are exhausted. So, it all depends on film to film and scene to scene.”

Revathy said it was a conscious decision not to feature in the films she directed. The actor, who predominantly acts in Tamil and Malayalam movies, has not starred in any of her films, barring Phir Milenge.

“I will never share the responsibility of acting when directing because it is difficult. Those are important roles to play, and I love both. The only difference is the director starts the journey from the seed of the thought that an actor has a slightly easier journey,” she said.