Sindhu Menon who opened her innings to a lukewarm Kadal Pookkal is on a high now with Eeram which has been lapped by the mass and the class. Needless to say, the lady is very happy and spoke to behindwoods in a frank fashion.
How did Eeram happen?
Sindhu Menon: I got Eeram through my manager. I was busy working in Telugu films. That’s when director Arivazhagan saw my pictures and having been impressed with them, narrated the story to me. They were looking for a fresh face. After the photoshoot, they were satisfied that I can justify my role and deliver. I also liked the script because of my homely and soft character. I was happy and did not want to miss working under a big banner and I accepted the film.
This character is very sensitive and if even there is a mild trace of artificiality in it, audience would not accept it. To start with, the character was a college going girl who after her marriage becomes a house wife and whose entire world revolves around her house and husband. So her costumes, her jewelry and her body language should be in sync with the role. The way she walks or speaks should be very natural. In my make-up department I saw to it that it was minimal and there was not the slightest shade of overdoing. I am a left hander in the film and I had to practice tying my watch in the right and also cut vegetables using left hand. I used to come to the sets an hour before the shoot and practice.
There are many differences. One cannot compare. Each director has his own unique style of working, thinking and presentation. As an artist I should adapt myself to different working styles of directors. When I complete a film and move on to the next, I should change myself as per the needs of the next director.
I am an upcoming star in the industry and should give importance to the expectations of my fans who do not like to see me in skimpy costumes as they have always appreciated my performance only. Glamour is different from exposing. I do not mind choosing glamour roles or wearing western outfits or sleek costumes in which I look good. But I am against skin shows.
What kind of roles would you prefer?
I am open to experimenting varied characters. I have done the role of a college student, a housewife, a lover, a loving sister and negative characters also. I don’t mind doing comedy also. I expect my role to be powerful even if it features in just a couple of scenes. There should be enough scope for my performance. That’s what I look for.
I am a trained Bharathnatyam dancer and have been dancing right from my childhood. I hope I get a film wherein I can showcase my dancing skills.
About your co-stars in Eeram
All three of us were very sincere and serious about our performances. We realized that this is one opportunity to prove our talent and we did not want to miss it. Each and every shot was challenging. Aadhi is a very friendly person and I got to work with him only in the last schedule. Adhi is a very cooperative, dedicated and supportive costar. When it comes to minute shots and montages, if there is no cooperation from your co-star, you can never perform. That way he was very helpful and it was nice working with him.
We both are from Kerala though I was born and raised in Bengaluru. Saranya Mohan is a very sweet and cute person. We vibed well and had a good time during the shoot. Most of the times, we used to sit in a corner and chat in Malayalam to our heart’s content. I did not have too many combination scenes with her. Even then, we got friendly and had a good time. Not only Saranya, but her parents were also nice to move with. It was comfortable working with her.
About Nanda
Nanda is a very quite person. His character was very reserved and he wanted that mood to permeate onto screen. So Nanda and I maintained a distance from each other. We talked only when it was absolutely necessary. We interacted with each other at a very minimal level because we feared that our off-screen interface might affect our on-screen performance.
Director Arivazhagan maintained a distance basically to keep up the mood of the film. Cameraman Manoj Paramahans did a good job and was very supportive. He gave me many tips on angles in which I would look good
Thaman is the major plus for Eeram. He has given beautiful numbers. I hear Mazhaye Mazhaye so many times in a day and even then I don’t get bored. I feel the music itself has given the necessary intimacy in the sequence. I am very sure Thaman is going to rock the industry and I wish him all luck.
It was very difficult as each and every shot was wet. Even though we shot in an apartment setting in studio, the floor was real and it was very wet. I had twisted my ankle many times but carried on. I only wore cotton saris and I could not even lift it and walk. That again was difficult. My death sequence required me to stay in water wherein the head alone would be up and water used to get into my nostrils. We shot the scene for three days and my skin became dry and I started getting boils. As I had to continuously shoot, it was difficult. Later I took off for three days, took medicines and resumed. As we kept toggling between first half and second half I had to lose weight, gain weight and it was like a yo-yo. This affected my health. I was also tensed and used to get angry and shout at people. But my struggle and hard work has paid rich dividends and I am happy now.
I just waited for the release of Eeram and now I have three wonderful projects. My Telugu film will be released soon and I am working in a couple of other Telugu films. I am not in a hurry and don’t want to push myself in every corner.