Having worked in Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil film industries, I've been lucky to have travelled far and wide for shoots.
Having done movies in Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi, I have been accepted both in North and down South. I don't believe in divisions. I like to believe that I am working in the Indian film industry.
I couldn't be happier starting 2019 with this film 'Haathi Mere Saathi.' It's the first time that I am doing a trilingual film which I'm excited about. It will be my Tamil and Telugu debut.
For 'Rakht Charitra,' I had to gain and lose weight. I simultaneously shot the film in three languages - Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi.
I prefer the Telugu film industry, as women are respected more than they are in the Tamil film industry. In Tamil cinema, they care only about their hero, who is God.
Hindi film industry makes film for the rest of the world. Tamil films are watched by Malay people. When a film is not bound by a language, why should an actor be?
I have worked really hard to reach where I am - I worked hard on my Hindi and diction because I am a Parsi and Hindi is not my strong point, and I've also learnt Tamil and Telugu because I want to get my lines right. I want to be known as a performer.
I am delighted to have won a place in both Tamil and Telugu film industry.
Tamil films have to be faster than a Malayalam film but not as fast as a Hindi film.
It's been a long and wonderful journey for me but feels like it was just the other day when I started my career in films. I am very grateful to this wonderful Telugu cinema industry and the audience for all the love and unflinching support without which it would not have been possible.
And also, that's the kind of wonderful thing about film culture, is the interaction between films and who works on what, where they were before, and now what they're doing now, and that inevitably informs how people view a film.
Language has never been a barrier for me. I grew up learning Telugu, Hindi, and Tamil.
Even when I had three Hindi films happening at the same time, Tamil and Telugu will always be an important industry considering I started my career there.
I am an actress. My first film was a Telugu film, my second film was Bollywood, and third was Indo-Chinese.
I never planned to become a dancer, but I became one. The same thing happened with acting and direction. I remember I was doing the choreography of a film, and the producer came and offered me to direct the film. It was in Telugu, and that is how it started.
Balancing my career between two industries has never been an issue. I started with a Telugu film and have a soft corner for the south industry, though I've grown up speaking Hindi. I don't think language can be a barrier when it comes to acting. And, since I come from a theatre background, I'm used to memorizing my lines.