I AM A PRODUCT OF A PAN-INDIAN HOME: SHRUTI

Having starred in a web show, Bestseller, recently, and looking forward to her next film — Salaar — actor Shruti Haasan enjoys balancing the web and big screen outings. She credits streaming platforms for making content from regional industries accessible to the world and adds that the success of the Kannada film KGF: Chapter 2 and Telugu hits Pushpa: The Rise (2021) and RRR pan India have proven that there is an audience for every kind of content. “When movies do well, it adds to the financial nutrition of the market. Every movie doesn’t have to be like the other. Nobody knows what works at the box office and what doesn’t,” she says.

While projects from the south film industries have been ruling cinemas across India, there’s been discourse on them being a threat to Bollywood. “I have worked in all industries, including Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. I don’t think pan-india films are a threat to Bollywood. I am a product of a pan-indian home. I feel like that because of my parents (actors Kamal Haasan and Sarika) and their careers. I have seen my dad have film premieres in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai. So, to me, a pan-india movie never felt unfathomable,” she says, adding, “Thanks to OTT, the way we consume content has changed. People get to see what they want. It’s an interesting time.”

Meanwhile, the 36-year-old, who is also a musician, has been writing new songs. She says music often took a backseat to make room for her acting commitments. But now, she is trying to strike a balance. Talking about her recent The Beatles tribute gig in Mumbai, Haasan says, “It’s lovely that live performances are back.”