'Women Are Mercilessly Criticised'

'It's not like I haven't made mistakes. There have been a couple of questionable films, but I have always learned from the films I pick.'

Shraddha Srinath, known for films like Jersey and Vikram Vedha, is seen in her first Tamil OTT series, The Game: You Never Play Alone on Netflix.

"You can either say yes to everything that comes your way and be seen a lot in on screen and posters, or you can choose what feels right to you. For me, my work is sacred. I don't take it for granted," Shraddha tells Subhash K Jha.

The Game: You Never Play Alone is a big success.

The show had so many interesting subplots, a lot of scope to perform, the potential of it being my very first OTT...

I really loved the narration.

I was sent the synopsis of the show and it seemed interesting on paper.

I also knew the names behind it -- Producer Applause Entertainment and Director Rajesh M Selva -- and that reinforced my confidence in the project.

Is it difficult to find projects like The Game: You Never Play Alone where the entire plot revolves around the female lead?

To find an entire series that is based on my character is not hard to find.

I frequently receive synopsis of shows and films in which I play the central part. What is hard to find is a team that will execute it well and a story that is convincing.

So you are not short of challenging roles?

Yeah, there are many well-meaning, well-intentioned makers out there, but how many of them can pull off a female-centric plot and bring it out for people to watch? That's the tricky part.

But yeah, this ticked all the boxes and eventually got bought by Netflix, which was another feather in our cap.

How relatable was the part of digital game-maker who is targeted viciously?

I found certain aspects of Kavya's life relatable. Like the part where she is a public figure, and in the limelight.

She uses her social media to share tidbits about her personal life and work and receives a lot of love and also hate in return.

I found that relatable as a public figure and also as a woman, you know, since we are constantly scrutinised and, sometimes mercilessly criticised.

But since I have not gone through that kind of targeted attack, it was hard for me to imagine, and it was something I needed to work on.

Was it difficult to leave behind the character's trauma when you went home?

I'm very good at compartmentalising.

Also, my approach to acting is quite definite.

I found a method that works best for me without intruding into my personal life or my mental space. So yeah, I would leave Kavya back at work and go home.

Why do we see so little of you?

Yes, this is something I hear often.

You can call it picky, but I believe that I am someone who would not settle for anything lesser than what I'm worthy of.

There are a hundred films being made, out of which 10 are good.

But all those 10 films are not being offered to me.

Let's say I'm getting 40 films out of them; 36 will be very mediocre.

What are your criteria for accepting a film?

I have a checklist.

I expect a good script, good writing, a character with a good arc.

I expect a good crew, a like-minded team.

I will not do something for the sake of it. I will not compromise.

It's not like I'm looking for all the 10 things on my checklist, but a majority should match.

You can either say yes to everything that comes your way and be seen a lot in on screen and posters, or you can choose what feels right to you.

For me, my work is sacred. I don't take it for granted.

My one life goal is to have a filmography that is something that I can look back on with pride.

It's not like I haven't made mistakes. There have been a couple of questionable films, but I have always learned from the films I pick.

Do you see The Game: You Never Play Alone as a new phase in your career?

Yes. It's my first Web series.

It is currently trending on Netflix on number one. If I can deliver a successful female-led Web series, I think that opens a lot of avenues for me, builds confidence in me as an actor and how bankable I can be.

Of course, the show has a lot of other important characters but being the face of the show and it doing well is a huge thing.

What next?

You will see me in a Tamil film called Aryan with Vishnu Vishal; it will release on October 31.

I play a strong-headed, alpha female journalist.

She's a very intuitive sort of person who takes her job more personally than one should.

There's another Tamil movie called Bro Code with Jayam Ravi and SJ Surya.

Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff