It’s a dream come true to work with Manirathna Sir: Dayana Erappa

How did you feel after being introduced by Manirathnam and how did he discover you?
Of course it was amazing ,it was a dream come true to work with Mani Sir and it was also a great experience. Actually, when I got a call from Madras Talkies Production team, it was unbelievable and they asked me to send my pictures and then I got a call after two months for auditions in Mumbai and then after a few days, met Mani Sir and gave my second audition at Chennai and after few days, came to know that I am one of the leads and felt really very happy and overwhelmed. Moreover, DOP Santhosh Sivan was amazing and I worked with a great team 

Was Manirathnam a tough task master in extracting work from you?
He was not tough but he knows how to extract work from each one of them as he has been in the industry for more than 30 years. He knows how to do it and as I am very new to this field, he helped me to understand and explained me in detail and also gave me options. It was comfortable for me. 

How was it working with flirtatious Simbhu?
Nothing like that. Everyone talks about him like that but he is very professional and very punctual always on time for the shoot schedules. He is multitalented and supportive and  generally does a shot in 1-2 takes. 

Would you prefer glam or performance driven roles in future?
I am open for all genres and don’t want to get stuck to a certain kind of roles. I want to try various type roles in different languages. However, when I do a particular role, then automatically, I get offers of a similar kind, but I want to try everything. 

Do you think that model turned actresses have an edge in the industry?
Yes, of course, many great actresses like Deepika Padukone and Anushka were also models before coming to films and I think at the end of the day, all are human beings  having  the same kind of emotions. I feel acting and modelling are a bit similar. So, I feel a model can also be a good actor.

BY Sindhu Janagam