Shruti Haasan is on a high after the blockbuster success of Salaar, co-starring Prabhas, that capped off a creatively satisfying year for the multi-hyphenate talent. A t2 chat

Congratulations on the huge success of Salaar. What has it been like for you since the film released?

It sounds a little presumptuous to say but I always felt the film would do well, but I didn’t know how well it would do. I rarely get that feeling with films... I am always like: ‘Oh, I don’t know. Sab Bhagwan ke haath mein hain, dekhte hain.’ With Salaar, I knew that there was a lot of excitement for Prashanth sir’s (Neel, director) work and for Prabhas’s work. As I was shooting it and seeing this world they were creating, I was like: ‘Okay, people are going to dig this. They are going to like it.’ I am so happy it has done so well.

I was really happy to dub in all the languages. That was a great thing for me because the audience was like: ‘It is so good to have the same voice in all languages’. They did say that they wished there was more of my character, which is always a good thing.

The good thing was people loved the dubbing. People have liked that the character (Aadya) is the reason and the catalyst for so many things happening. Also, the audience is overwhelmed by the world of the film.

What was it like being directed by Prashanth Neel and being a part of the world that he is known for creating in all his films?

He is a great leader. I always say this. He knows how to lead and inspire a team of people to come with him on his journey. Very positive energy. He is very collaborative. He has zero ego. It is so easy to talk to him. He is really funny on set. He’s a very clear person about what he wants from you as an actor. It is really easy to work with Prashanth Sir.

What were the biggest challenges and the most creatively satisfying aspects of playing Aadya?

It wasn’t physically challenging but emotionally, there were some moments. That was the most challenging thing for me. The character is opposite in every conceivable sense to who I am. Which is always fun to play because that’s what being an actor is all about.

The other thing is that she is a tough woman. She is from another world. But she constantly needs help, whether she likes it or not. And I found it interesting... to even think of myself in that position, to have to be dependent on someone, but have to do it as gracefully as possible. I have never played that kind of part before.

Do you not get offered such roles because of your independent, tough girl persona?

In Ramaiya Vastavaiya (2013), I played a virginal, coy girlfriend and sister. That’s just not me. Honestly, I don’t think I have ever been cast very close to my personality. I am known to be crazy and fun and I crack stupid jokes but I haven’t played that part. I have never played an urban contemporary modern woman who represents two cultures.

It is a good phase for you with success in both movies and music. There have also been quite a few new film announcements. What kind of mind space are you in now as far as your career is concerned?

I cannot be more thankful. It has been an incredible year professionally and personally and I am getting roles that I am so excited to play, like in Dacoit (opposite Adivi Sesh) and my first English film, called The Eye, which will come out this year. I had two blockbuster Telugu films at the beginning of 2023. Plus, I did guest appearances here and there. Year 2023 has been such a crazy, fun year. There was a time, even three-four years ago, where people were like: ‘Where did she go? What is she doing?’ These successes have been validating for me.

Shruti in Salaar

What can you tell us about your Hollywood debut?

The experience has been different, phenomenal and unforgettable. When I read the script, I loved it because it is a female-driven story told from a female perspective. This is a story of great loss, grief and hope and it is said with such patience, deliverance and thoughtfulness. It is emotionally moving.

It is a project led by women... there is our producer Melanie (Dicks), our director Daphne (Schmon), writer Emily (Carlton) and then myself. We needed this to be a kind of sisterhood and make this film together. It was a magical experience because I believe in the power of women coming together to create and so to be a part of that for me will forever be memorable.

Do you think women in India, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes, are getting some of the best opportunities ever? I am not talking about pay parity...

Pay parity is a whole different conversation and honestly, that’s just a hopeless situation currently. As far as more opportunities and women getting powerful roles are concerned, back in the day, we had a Mother India, we had a Madhubala and a Savitri Amma from the south. You had these women leading women-led stories as a part of our culture because matriarchy is integral to the Indian experience. I feel like it has always been there and it kind of goes up and down, up and down.

Honestly, it has taken so many years for there to be a moment where a women-powered film like Barbie was released on the same day as a huge film like Oppenheimer and it managed to make more money than a Christopher Nolan film! Barbie is executive-produced by Margot Robbie who is also the lead and it is directed by a woman (Greta Gerwig) and they have given a head-to-head race to one of the biggest filmmakers, who has made a film about an atomic bomb. It has taken so many years for that to happen even in Hollywood. With Barbie, they cracked the economics of female-led films. In India, no film led by a woman has ever had the budget of Jawan or Salaar. Currently, we are not even talking about how many hundred crores a female-led film can make. The important thing now is to make women-led films commercially viable. That is why actors like Nayanthara and Vidya Balan stand as heroes in this genre.

What’s the way forward for you on the music front?

It takes longer to make a movie than it does to do a song but it takes a different kind of work to be on tour with your band. I am so thankful that God has given me the chance to do two incredible things with my life. There are going to be more singles. I love mixing the two worlds (of acting and singing). Making amazing music videos is like sharing a story to a song and it all falls under the same umbrella of creativity. I have more freedom with my music than I do in films because I am bound by the
characters I play in my films.