‘I WORRY ABOUT JHANVI’S ENTRY INTO FILMS’
That’s what Sridevi feels about her daughter entering Bollywood. Adds that “you don’t want your child to be exposed so much”
Back in 1979, she started her career as the leading lady in Solva Saawan. After reaching the dizzying heights of success and attaining superstardom, now, Sridevi says her kids are her “first priority”. As she gets ready for the release of her film, Mom, we catch up with the actor about her kids, films, and more.
After working for so many years in the industry, does a new film release still make you nervous?
To put it in one word, I feel like a ‘newcomer’, as if it’s my first film. With every film, an actor feels that. So, you are excited as well as tense, and so many other feelings put together.
You do very few films. What made you say yes to Mom?
It’s the subject and the script. I always look at a script and see if it moves me, and Mom did that. I felt good about the story and since I always go by my instincts, it made me sign the movie. We were working on this subject since 2014. In fact, I also got involved in the process [of the subject]. It took time to put everything together before we started shooting in 2016.
Do you ever feel a bit rusty after returning to acting post a break?
Not at all. I don’t find it difficult. People were asking the same thing when English Vinglish (2012) happened. They were like, ‘How do you find facing the camera after 15 years?’ But for me, it was as if I took a break for 15 days and came back.
There have been talks about your daughter Jhanvi’s debut. Are you happy and excited?
It’s too early for me to talk about her debut, but Jhanvi has chosen her career, and I am supporting her for the same as a mother. I have to support and encourage her like how my mother supported me.
These days, when you take up a film there is so much expectation, does it put too much pressure on you?
For me, the idea of doing a film comes very naturally. So, I like a subject, it touches my heart and I want to be a part of it. But when I see things becoming bigger, I am always left wondering. The same happened with English Vinglish, too. We were sitting and chatting when R Balki (director) narrated a story line, and I instinctively loved it. I said, ‘I will do it, let me read the whole script’. I loved the script so, I did it. Before that, I had no plans of returning [to films]. I was in my own world, busy with my kids. I didn’t plan that I would do that film; it just happened. The same thing happened with Mom also. It wasn’t planned or a conscious decision at all.