I am a Malayali who was brought up in Chennai. I know both Malayalam and Tamil.
I have never been someone who chooses a film according to the language. Since I am comfortable with Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam, the scope of the film is all that matters to me.
I am more comfortable working in Tamil films rather than in Malayalam.
I struggled a bit with Malayalam, but it was easier speaking Tamil; it is closer to Telugu.
My thought process is in Malayalam. So, every time I have to work outside Malayalam, the process is a little stressful. I have to translate my Malayalam thoughts into English and back to Tamil.
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 am open to working in all southern language - Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam.
I am familiar with the Odiyan legend, as my mother used to tell me that her grandmother would narrate the Odiyan tales while she grew up in Palakkad.
I am not familiar with Telugu, Tamil or Malayalam and tend to feel they are foreign languages to me.
To the Tamil media, I have mostly interacted in English since I am not fluent in Tamil.
My entire family is from Palakkad, and my grandmother grew up in Kerala, as did my mom.
I am a huge fan of the Siddique sir's Malayalam comedies. I grew up watching them. I am also his daughter's classmate in school.
Of course I catch up on the odd Malayalam and Tamil movie on streaming platforms once a while.
I have never behaved like a star kid, and since a lot of people in the Tamil and Malayalam film industries know my parents, they treat me like their own child.
Human beings around the world have to be taught to go, 'Tamil equals Tamil civilians first, and the Tamil Tiger is a separate thing.' And both of those groups are different. It's like a square and a circle.
I had a smooth take-off in Malayalam, I would like to explore more and take up films that are different in Tamil.