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Actor
Priyamani talks about her experiences in the films, 'Otta Nanayam',
'Grandmaster', 'Raavan', 'Chennai Express' and 'Thirakkatha'
By
Shevlin Sebastian
In
the film 'Otta Nanayam' (2005), actor Priyamani played a beggar girl
called Chippy. A shoot was scheduled at the Ernakulam Junction
station. Priyamani had to beg from real-life passengers accompanied
by a group of beggar kids. She was dressed appropriately: a black
paavada, a cream blouse and a face without make-up. The camera was
placed in a hidden position.
“Not
many people recognised me,” says Priyamani. “Maybe one or two did
but they were not sure whether I was indeed Priyamani.”
Anyway,
Priyamani began asking for money from passengers sitting at the
window seats. “Two men gave us one or two rupees coins,” she
says. “But one man yelled at us and said, 'Why can't you get some
job instead of begging. Every afternoon, we see people like you. Why
do you beg?'”
Priyamani
ignored him and went to the next passenger. “It was a strange and
weird experience,” she says. “The way people stare at you. And to
lead a life where you don't have any money can be so difficult.”
Priyamani
had a completely different experience on the sets of 'Grandmaster'
where she acted opposite Mohanlal for the first time. It was also the
first time that her father [Vasudeva Mani Iyer], along with her
mother and brother came to watch her act on the sets. “The main
reason was because my father is a big fan of Mohanlal,” she says.
“But on the set, my dad was star-struck.”
When
Vasudeva came face-to-face with the superstar, he felt flustered and
said, “I have been a fan since my childhood.” Later, he told
Priyamani, “I should not have said that.”
Meanwhile,
there were some problems with Mohanlal's mobile phone. “My brother
Vishakh is very good with electronic stuff,” says Priyamani. “He
tinkered with it and solved the problem. Mohanlal was very happy and
grateful.”
Chicken
Soup For The Soul
In
the Hindi film 'Raavan' (2010), Priyamani was playing the role of
Abhishek Bachchan's sister. The shoot was taking place in Jhansi. The
stars were staying at a palace which had been converted into a
heritage hotel. Priyamani was suddenly laid low by flu. She felt very
weak. Nevertheless, she decided to go to the dining hall with her
mother and have some food. Soon, Abhishek heard that she was unwell.
He
came over to their table holding a white bowl in his hands. “This
is a ginger chicken curry which I just made in the kitchen,” he
says. “It has got a lot of medicinal value.” Priyamani was not
sure whether he was pulling her leg or not.
Nevertheless,
she smiled and accepted the dish. “It was quite tasty,” she says.
“Abhishek is a good cook.”
In
'Chennai Express', Priyamani had the chance to interact with another
Bollywood star, Shah Rukh Khan. The shoot, at Wai, in Pune district,
was for the song, '1,2,3,4 Get on the dance floor'. “Shah Rukh Khan
is a very cool person,” says Priyamani. During breaks in the shoot,
they would play 'Kaun Banega Crorepati'. He had downloaded the app on
his Ipad and acted as the quiz master. “Nikitin Dheer [who usually
plays villain roles], and I betted small amounts and tried to answer
the questions,” says Priyamani. “Time passed so quickly, thanks
to KBC.”
When the tears rolled down
The
shoot for the film, 'Thirakkatha' (2008) was taking place in a tea
estate at Wayanad. Priyamani played Malavika, an actress who had
faded from public view. In the morning, the shoot was of a romantic
song, 'Palappoovithalil', in which she wore several bright costumes.
For
the second half of the shoot, make-up man Renjith Ambadi had to
change her look entirely since her character was suffering from
cancer in the film. So, he had to make her head bald and give her a
pale look. It took three hours. After he finished his task, when
Renjith looked at her, tears began to roll down his face.
“I
did not ask him the reason why,” says Priyamani. “But I suspected
that I was a reminder of some person who had passed away.”
Priyamani realised the effectiveness of the make-up when she walked
into the set. “There was a pin-drop silence,” she says. “People
just stared at me silently.”
(The
New Indian Express, Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthpuiram)
whoh !! I didn't knew about it
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