Swati made a quiet yet impactful debut in Subramaniapuram as a demure girl. After doing some Telugu films, she will now be seen in Samuthirakani's Poraali (with co-stars Sasikumar and Naresh).

In this interview, Swati talks about her role in Poraali and what we can expect from the film.

How was it coming together with the same team of Sasikumar and Samuthirakani for Poraali?

The working styles are different. Sasi would tell you what he does only at the time of shooting, whereas Samuthirakaniwho directed Poraali, will tell you what he will do four days before.

Sasi was strict in a sweet way. Samuthirakani will give you some freedom.

The difference is because of the path of their careers. Samuthirakani is an actor so he knows what the actor's going through. He understands the pressure of an actor. He's an actor's director. Naresh and I are extremely fond of him.

I was approached by them for several films like Nadodigal, Pasanga, etc. But I wanted a break.

What's Poraali about?

This school of filmmaking will connect to a majority of the audience. The audience will relate to the story and understand the struggle all of us face.

What do you play in the film?

I play this girl called Bharathi. I was tired of playing the daavani (half-sari)–clad roles. I was this coy, timid girl who doesn't speak much in Subramaniapuram, but if you ask Bharati (in Poraali) two lines, she'll answer in 20 lines. She's independent, living on her own and protects herself fiercely.

Naresh acts in a Tamil film after a long time. What was it like acting with him?

Naresh is my first hero--we acted in the Telugu film Danger. We have known each other for seven years. We are not romantically paired in this film. Naresh knows Tamil and Telugu. We both dubbed our voices.

Was it easier to dub for the film in Tamil?

Definitely. It was Chennai Tamil and not Madurai Tamil of the 1980s which was spoken in Subramanipuram. For Poraali I wanted to dub all my dialogues myself as I wanted the lip sync to be right. Bharathi, by the way, is a not a Tamil.

Acting with Sasikumar must have been different...

Acting with Sasi is very cool. He's more relaxed. There was no pressure of construction of scenes and execution.

Where was the film shot?

It's been shot in and around Chennai. I think Naresh and Sasi shot in Kerala.

What should one look for in the film?

Poraali is not a totally serious film. It's an entertainer too. It has little ingredients of comedy, romance and action.