‘I DON’T HAVE DADDY OR MOMMY HELPING ME’

Shruti Haasan says like anyone else, she also has financial constraints, so she has no choice but to get back to work as soon as it resumes

Ican’t hide and wait for the pandemic to end,” says actor Shruti Haasan, who admits it’s tough to shoot amid a health scare, yet important to do so once things restart after the ongoing lockdown. “Being on set without a mask is very scary. I’m not going to lie. But we’ve to get back to work because I have financial constraints, just like anybody else,” notes Haasan, adding, “When they’re ready to shoot, I’ve to go out there as I have shoots to complete and other professional commitments I need to finish.”

Calling herself an “independent woman who pays her own bills”, the daughter of actor-politician Kamal Haasan shares, “I have my limitations. I don’t have my daddy or mommy helping me.”

And she’s very proud of the life she has built over the past 11 years, ever since she moved out of her father’s place. “I’ve made every decision — good or bad — for myself, by myself. There were some smart people who didn’t buy any big things like a car or a house before the pandemic, but I bought a house just before this all started, and I was like, ‘God damn it’. So yes, I have financial constraints,” she says.

In fact, these limitations make her realise her privileges. “It has made me very thankful for the fact that ‘Oh, I’m just trying to pay my EMI’, when I know that there are people who don’t have food and don’t have money for medicines. It just puts everything in perspective,” says the actor, 35.

Before the shutdown, Haasan was working on a web series and her upcoming film, Salaar. And the present situation reminds her of 2020, when the shoot of her film, Krack, was stalled mid-way and could only be completed after the lockdown. “Last year, we didn’t understand what was going on, it was a very indefinite, long amount of time,” she says, hoping for things to get better soon.

Once work resumes, the actor says she’ll be most cautious on the set. “Because this virus has taught us something which we should have learnt 100 years ago… that individual behaviour does affect the collective,” says Haasan, advising everyone to follow all guidelines. “It’s not like we have a choice... We should be staying at home,” she signs off.