TRUST ME I KNOW WHAT I'm DOING

Abhay (00:00.098)
Hey friends, this is Abhay Dandekar. Before we get started, don't forget to subscribe to Trust Me I Know What I'm Doing on YouTube, Amazon, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you listen or watch. That way you never miss our show celebrating the vibrant Indian and South Asian global experience. Thanks.

Hello everybody, this is Sriya Reddy. I'm an actor trying to be a better human being. This is Trust Me, I Know What I'm Doing.

name is Abhay Dhandekar and I share conversations with talented and interesting individuals linked to the global Indian and South Asian community. It's informal and informative, adding insights to our evolving cultural expressions, where each person can proudly say, trust me, I know what I'm doing.

Hi everyone, on this episode of Trust Me, I Know What I'm Doing, we share a conversation with actor and artist Sriya Reddy. Stay tuned.

Abhay (01:08.27)
I have to tell you, even though my name is Abhay, we all are simply wired to have fears and we manage them on an ongoing basis. But in the acting world, of course, being able to conquer those and in a way liberate yourself to be fearless certainly allows for portrayals that then become far, far more real, far more complex, far more raw, versatile and authentic.

And so for my next guest, actor Shriya Reddy, this has been a common thread in her performances that have spanned award-winning roles from Kanchi Varam and Salar to her current role playing Geeta in They Call Him OG with a great deal of depth, vulnerability, and I think the word for this episode is gonna be just pure honesty and of course, a lot of strength. And most importantly, I'm...

Thankful for her time and generosity and kindness in joining us today. Sriya, it's such a real treat to have you on Trust Me, I Know What I'm Doing. Welcome.

Thank you

I wanted to ask you, of course, the news of the day, at least in the States, coming from India is this pretty amazing and awesome win by the women's cricket team. Cool.

Sriya (02:28.97)
God, it was just engulfing me at this point. was just, I tried to watch. Sorry, sorry, I'm cutting.

I mean, so I was going to ask, mean, engulfing is probably a big word to use, but is it true? has this been sort of overwhelming for you personally to have to watch?

Yeah, because having come from a cricketing family, my dad played cricket for the country and I've always been surrounded with that particular feeling of winning and losing. And for the longest time, we've all just poo-pooed the women's side of the sport, right? And I've always been Mithali Raj, who was one of the, you know, we forget the people who actually brought this team.

together, right? Sure. And the number of matches they have lost. today, just watching Mitali just stand there and completely in awe of this team is a testimony of patience, right? And we've all just waited for this moment to happen. And just to see the girls so fit, like it was just like I had tears rolling down my eyes watching them play.

beating Australia in the semi-finals and South Africa in the finals is no joke, right? So they are like amazing players. So it's just such a beautiful feeling.

Abhay (03:52.91)
I wonder, like you said, you come from such a strong background where sport was part of your entire environment growing up and of course being a fan and watching these athletes, amazing athletes and understanding the foundation that it takes to get to this point. And then of course now having that amazing victory, do you operate with sort of a sporting mentality when it comes to how you prepare?

that is such a beautiful question. My very existence, even when I'm sitting here and I'm talking to you, I only operate on that. I was just reading a quote this morning that says, everything is based on discipline. What we are today is something that we saw 25 years ago. And if he didn't do that 25 years ago, the second best option that you have is to do it today.

But if you take today as well and put it under the carpet, then you're in for lot of trouble. So discipline is something which is so, so important because that is the foundation, right? Winning and losing is something which is just not in our control. Right. But what is in our control is about how we approach it. So today I may not get what I've always wanted, but what is going to keep me going is the faith and the hope that I have.

So when you lose a race, you lose a game. Yes, you do, you're human to feel upset, to feel like, my God, I should have done better. The difference between the sporting mindset and the rest of them is this is, this is it, right? So you can cry over it for a day, two days a week. What does an athlete do? Picks themselves up, goes to the gym, starts eating right and brings about the discipline.

Yeah.

Sriya (05:53.836)
and that the rest of them or at least a small section of them or little more than a small section sit and cry over it, mull over it and brings their own confidence, self-confidence down. So this I feel is the difference.

Yeah. Do you have to remind yourself of that? I mean, that takes practice, right? Like you have to constantly be in a mindset where you quickly and rapidly move on from failures and you don't really perseverate too much on the successes. So in a way, are you overall a competitive person? Nevermind with other people, but are you just as competitive actually with yourself?

yes, beautiful. exactly. That's exactly what I am because I set myself up for my own failures because I've set such high boundaries for myself. And for me, discipline, like I'm so amazed that you brought this up like the very beginning because for me, discipline is everything. Today, I'm so proud of the fact that I've never touched alcohol in my entire life. I've never

held a cigarette. I don't even know how to hold one. And partying is something, have I partied in my life? Yes, of course I have. But have I stayed till three, four in the morning? Never. Why am I saying all of this is because of the discipline. I started my discipline journey at the age of 12. I didn't have an option because I was an athlete in school. And I used to compete. So for me, waking up,

four, five in the morning to go and get my early workout in or practice before my school starts at 7.30. I didn't have that privilege. I could have, but I chose not to because at that very early stage of my life, I brought in discipline in my life.

Abhay (07:52.994)
Did you directly see that from your father, by the way?

Somewhere being all the time surrounded with athletes, with the chit-chatter of sports all the time and I was crazy about cricket. So crazy I would have a pen and paper and literally, you know, forget what the commentators are saying but I would literally say, okay, so they need so many runs with so many balls and I would literally sit for every match, especially the India-Pakistan.

I would say, okay, my God, they have this, so maybe if they can do this and then that'll happen. You know, my own strategy. Yeah. Yeah. So for me, it started so early that my mind was just tuned that way. Right. Right.

strategizing.

Abhay (08:38.606)
I imagine that someone as you speak so passionately about the discipline in your life and in fact the rigor that it takes to maintain that discipline, is there a creative tension that sometimes fits not just because you're in the entertainment or the media or the acting profession, but also that tends to be a creative tension between someone who has great ambition.

versus someone who is at peace and content with themselves as well. So do you constantly have to battle both of those in a way?

Yeah, I guess all the time and it gets so tiring. It gets so tiring.

I mean, that's never easy for anyone, right?

Yeah, it gets really tiring because nobody has done that to you, right? I mean, you have set it for yourself and that becomes a huge, huge task. But being so disciplined, you just want to let that go. You want to take that and put it in the cupboard and lock it for a night and say, you know what, just let me be. Right. Right. But you know what? The downside of that is it never happens.

Abhay (09:52.398)
By the way, is that a bad thing? I mean, does that, that sometimes drives people, right?

It kind of troubles me even now, every now and then. But then I realized that I'm okay now. I found that there was a huge imbalance. Like people would say, why aren't you doing more number of films? You should, you're so talented. You should be seen in more films, in more projects. Why are you taking so long to say okay to something? It is a trouble me when people used to say that because they don't understand how I function.

And then today I realized, okay, maybe there is an imbalance. My one leg is inside the industry and one leg is outside. I'm like little like, you know, swaying up and down, not knowing whether to go in fully, because if you go in fully, then you know, this is your life and then you know how to maneuver it better. So I'm at the outside and wondering how am I going to do this? But then I realized over a period of time, more recently that I'm okay with this.

This is who I am and when I choose a particular role, it always comes with honesty and integrity. It is not the money or the fame which is the driving force. With the money or the fame, I'm not going to be able to find the balance of honesty and integrity in a particular role.

Yeah. Yeah.

Sriya (11:17.634)
So when I say that, so what does it mean? So maybe there is a role and they can't pay me that much. And maybe it is a particular project which people, my agents don't see me doing, but I see myself doing it, which I feel I'm in that stage of currently where I don't know what to do. Should I do, should I not do? It's not about doing big films. It's about being honest. So.

especially in the film that I currently did call OG, they call him OG. It was Pawan Kalyan's film. It was his film. He is a larger than life hero. So how do you come in between all of this and create a space for yourself?

You know, there is this great tension as you alluded to there. You know, people may ask you, you may even ask yourself like, okay, like, am I limiting myself or am I actually being very selective and being honest with the roles that I try and ensure that they really fit for me as much as possible? And, you know, if you take, for example, this role of Gita.

that you described, right? That honesty, that sort of rawness, the complex emotions. I wonder that, know, even is there sort of an actual glamor or an elegance to ensuring that there is an authenticity and a rawness to these kinds of roles that you've selected over the years, right? Especially for women on screen where those roles are not, I mean, the glamor and the elegance of being

and actress, but yet being in a role that speaks to that honesty. Is that what you seek, you know, potentially?

Sriya (13:09.394)
Absolutely. Because see, I don't look at this as a job. These are little takeaways that I keep for myself as well. These roles are something which is a part of my life. It's a part of my expression. So I just don't do it for the sake of doing it for the reasons I stated earlier. It is not. For me, the money and the fame doesn't drive it. I like to bring in

myself as well in those roles. So when I cry in a particular role, I like to inflict the pain to be able to cry naturally. So it looks a little more believable. So when I say inflict the pain, the situation of the particular scene, I have to make it my own. I have to feel that this has happened to me in real. And when it happens, how do you react?

in reality. Sure. Sure. So for me, again, Geeta was a very special role because I was able to play her. She's a very complex character. She has to, you know, hold the fort because there are no other men at that point to hold it. So she has to hold this big double barrel gun. She has to talk to these people that require certain sternness.

But there's also a part where she's a mother and she needs to be soft. She needs to be enduring and her sacrifices and what all those emotions packed. It needed a lot of depth. It needed a lot of inner strength for that kind of character to come out. And so when you say raw, yes, it was very raw. So for me, even not using makeup.

Did I look terrible? Probably I didn't care about because this character, Geeta, was not about looks. It was about seeming real. Sure. So wearing cotton saris that didn't seem very aesthetically pleasing. It didn't matter to me. Right.

Abhay (15:17.966)
And yet there is that, again, that beauty, that glamour to being so complex and having such depth and being able to make that your own. It's almost as if that it's a vehicle and an accelerator for empowering yourself in that particular role.

I wouldn't only just say myself, I feel somewhere there is strength being given to the people watching it. And I feel that's where you feel like you're one at life. When women and men keep, when they message me and say, you know, you kind of have a certain power which has engulfed us while watching the movie. I mean, that is so powerful. They don't know who you are.

Sure.

Sriya (16:06.688)
and they've just seen you that 10-15 minutes on screen and if you have affected them even for a slight second as a human being I don't know what more one can ask for. am truly

It's infectious, right? Like it feels like you've not only done your job, but I imagine that that is very validating for that feeling and it makes you want to do it over and over again. You're listening to Trust Me, I Know What I'm Doing. After a quick break, let's come back to our conversation with Sreeya Reddy. Stay tuned.

Abhay (16:43.584)
Every story told is a lesson learned and every lesson learned is a story waiting to be told. I'm Abhay Dandekar and I share conversations with global Indians and South Asians so everyone can say, trust me, I know what I'm doing. New episodes weekly wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Abhay (17:05.944)
Hi, I'm Krish Ashok, author of Masala Lab, the science of Indian cooking and you're listening to Trust Me, I Know What I'm Doing.

Abhay (17:19.851)
Hi, this is Farhan Akhtar.

Hi guys, I'm Ananya PandAy. Hi, I'm Kani Kusruti. Hi, this is Vidya Balan. Hi, this is Madhuri Dixit and you're listening to Trust Me, I Know What I'm Doing with Abhay Dandekar.

Abhay (17:39.672)
Welcome back to Trust Me, I Know What I'm Doing. Let's rejoin our conversation now with actor and artist Sreeya Reddy. I feel like people have in their lives different anchors that keep them foundationally grounded. And then they have these buoys that they seek that are trying to elevate their work and perhaps, you know, pique their curiosity or make them aspire to different things.

And so when you select a role or when you're even just, you know, living your life and in between these roles, do you have kind of a daily rhythm or some rituals, whether you're on set or doing something like a podcast that they serve as those anchors or those buoys that you have to keep a framework around your life?

Absolutely, without those things, don't think even the greatest person in the world, say the greatest athletes, the greatest politicians, the greatest businessmen, all have a ritual. And I feel really sad if somebody doesn't have it because I feel it's the most simplest of things. We search for success when the success actually lies within us. It's so, so important.

Yeah.

We ask, we keep asking God, give me this, give me this, give me this. Sometimes you just have to have faith in God, actually the onus is on you because you can deliver what you want, right? And that comes from a ritual. People will say, how silly of that. No, a ritual. For me, my ritual would be, I listen to the Hanuman Chalisa about two, three times a day. You can see my obsession with the Hanuman here.

Abhay (19:24.856)
Yeah.

Abhay (19:29.322)
I

Yeah, lovely. Staring into us. And for me, workout is not about being thin, right? I don't look at it. I've given up now. I can never be skinny in my life. I rather choose to be strong and I'd rather have muscles than have fat in my body. I'm happy with that. That used to be a problem. People used to say, oh my God, why are you so muscular? But

Yeah.

Sriya (19:58.592)
It used to bother me, but after a point, this is who I am. So that has helped me listening to the Hanuman Chalisa. Reading, mean, I'm a new reader. I still struggle to go past 20 pages a day, but I love reading and working out is a must. And the new routine which I brought in is Kalari Paye Tu, which is a Kerala martial art. Which again,

At this stage in my life, it's very tough. You start this at a very early age in your life and your body is more bendable and flexible. But somewhere I feel a martial art is very grounding, just not for the body, but for the mind as well. And I feel this is the biggest gift I've been able to receive, to be able to get into this art and...

just holding those weapons it just kind of feels so powerful but very grounding at the same time.

Your Instagram tagline says to be your own superhero. So is this the mechanism by which you're doing that?

Yes, absolutely. I don't search anywhere, I search within myself. So I always believe that I am my own superhero.

Abhay (21:17.09)
Let me ask, which is great. Let me ask you, you know, the idea that you're, have to constantly adapt and find new skills and find new buoys that keep your, daily sort of motion going. Is that the best way in an industry that is constantly looking for the next new thing or the next new face? Is that the best way to stay both relevant?

and also in a way age peacefully in the profession that you're in.

Beautiful question. I would also say yes and no. Yeah, you have to keep yourself updated. have to keep your you can't keep saying, you know, once upon a time I was really beautiful, really great actor. And you can't sit on your laurels because we are emerging every day. Cinema is getting bigger, better. The audiences are not stupid. Right. So they want something real. They are.

seeing what's happening with the world that is being operated with AI, I can only hope that, I I'm just presuming the next five to 10 years that's going to take over, right? So when there's so much happening around the world, the cinema that happens on the West has become so accessible to all of us. So people know the different kinds of cinema that is made across the world that we have to keep ourselves upgraded, right?

Yeah.

Sriya (22:47.366)
People expect women to come show up, fight. People want to see women that way. They don't want to see women just sitting and doing nothing. Trust me, in OG, I've had a bazillion messages where people said, I wish you had a fight. I wish you could just take that gun and actually fire that gun on somebody. And I'm surprised that people actually wanted that out of a woman, right? So you know which direction

It is moving in. But also somewhere I feel you can't push yourself way too much because I think somewhere with the maturity I've realized this is who I am. This is how much I do.

the organic version of you.

Yeah, and the more you keep pushing, I don't know, it could work for some, but somewhere I feel you'll start falling and then you'll keep the peace in your mind goes away. Because you're fighting all the time. I want to get better. I want to do this. I want to do that. And then the whole essence goes.

Sure, sure. You mentioned that, you know, this is a constant battle. Can you actually strive to do something different? You have your audiences who want to see you, you know, in more action scenes and actually take the power of either weapons or fight and whatnot. Is there a true gap, particularly for women, and that maybe speaks to

Abhay (24:22.038)
women holding more and more levers of power and decision-making and financing for films in India, South Indian films or otherwise, that we are not there yet. And it speaks maybe to women having a little bit more perspective, not just perspective, but actually women being in places where they are actually being able to make those decisions very cleanly.

that allow for these portrayals to happen more freely. Is that something that you particularly aspire to? And are we starting to see some of that or are we still quite?

I think we are in that era right now. If you'd asked me this question a couple of years ago, I would have said, Yara, you're right. We are struggling to be seen in these pockets. But today, I think it's emerging. We are leaping forward. People are recognizing that women can be a producer, women can take up stunts, women can do.

Mostly everything, right? Most of the top networks in our country, that is I'm talking about the OTT networks, are all run by women. At the very top, And the top businesses are being led by women. There is a space that has happened. With a lot of struggle, I think the space has been given. So I think in all fairness, yes.

we are emerging and we're leaping forward. So that's a good thing.

Abhay (25:54.83)
And that leaping forward can't happen fast enough. I want to think backwards a little bit, though. Do you ever miss the days of being Vijay Shriya?

I absolutely love actually I love your job because I just I just love talking right talking is so powerful when when we started this conversation you had said that sometimes just listening is the most powerful tool somebody can have in today's day and age where everybody just wants to open their mouth and just say something when you just sit back and able to listen to somebody

think that's the greatest thing you can do. And as a VJ, that was my personality. That was something that I would talk rubbish, absolute rubbish, because I was being myself. And you won't believe it, Abhay, it's been almost, I don't know, maybe 20, maybe a little more than that, having been a VJ. Till today, I get messages where people, men, forget women, men...

Yeah.

Sriya (27:01.282)
who say you were so inspiring because you came on national television and you spoke your mind. So there was a section of people who would say what rubbish is she talking?

And yet they see themselves in that, right? Like those people who are inspired by it are so liberated in a way to see that somebody is speaking their mind, they're being themselves. And of course they crave that.

Yes. I mean, you're a doctor, but you choose to do this because you feel where maybe somewhere in between in your interviews where you talk or you listen to people talk that somebody is getting inspired, right? It is starting a call somewhere, right? For me, I also feel like, you know, we people are, I think the gifted ones that have a particular voice that can travel, that can make a difference in somebody's life.

Absolutely.

Sriya (27:53.858)
I'm not saying it in a pompous way, but I'm talking about it in a way that you can touch upon somebody's emotion. You can make somebody feel better.

Absolutely. And you know, it's not to be taken lightly, right? Like I actually appreciate how you said that. It's not from a pompous position at all. It's actually you are in a position of privilege and it's important for that to actually be shared. I imagine that from whether it's being a VJ, whether it's having had some pretty, you know, award-winning roles or roles that you've really felt very proud of up to this point.

What have you actually had to unlearn about yourself in order to achieve some element of what you think in your heart to be success?

Sriya (28:47.566)
Sometimes it's just not about thinking very linear, right? I think we all get so caught on upon, okay, that is what I wanted. Now that is the only thing I want. I don't know anything else. I mean, just as an example, so my takeaway from OG is the relationships and the love I've been able to garner. Be it the team that I worked with.

I've been able to make friends with these people. These are the people's love that I have as my biggest award, right? I have the role, the movie, the success, how much of money it made, whatever. That doesn't, it's not my takeaway. For me, the biggest takeaway as an actor for me from this film is I was able to work with such amazing people. My director is one of the most sweetest and nicest

person. So if you're able to have a conversation with a director or an actor, well after the movie is over, you know, there is some connect that has happened. Right. So for me, these are the biggest takeaways for me. It is not any more about, what is my next? Yeah. I'm going to be honest. I really don't care what my next is. I'm so happy, satisfied and grateful. So for me now I feel

I was caught on with so many things. my God, I need to know what my next movie is. What should I do next? People are asking me, what am I going to tell people when they ask me what's your next project?

And people expect you to be constantly thinking about that when perhaps you're absolutely not.

Sriya (30:32.945)
Yeah, and I'm just...

Is that surprising when people learn that?

Yeah, because you sometimes we even a person like me who's confident and who's very independent, I still fall into the strap of keeping the society happy. Right. Yeah. Of constantly saying, I'm being honest here. Right. Of course. so what am I going to do next? I don't know. I don't even know whether I want to know. I'm happy just sitting here and chatting with you.

Yeah.

This has made my day. This is for me is happiness. Like, why do we have to think that you need to go win an Oscar or you need to sign another big film? This is my takeaway. The takeaway is I'm able to garner great friends that I worked with. For me, working in OG was the greatest experience because for me, it was just fun. It was not going on a set and trying to do my job. It was not a job. I enjoyed myself.

Sriya (31:34.124)
Yeah, and now just sitting and chatting with you for me also feels like, yeah, I mean, this is a space that I like. Can I just not be happy doing small things?

And doing small things and doing big things, think what you're hitting on, which I've been learning more and more from having these conversations is it actually pays not to constantly be a futurist. If you're engaged in the moment, you celebrate what you have right in front of you, then it actually opens up the windows for you to have some clarity later on what your future might hold, but it allows you to just celebrate what you have.

And that's such an important thing.

my god, you just touched the right chord because even I, like I'm all the time wanting to know what's next. Just in life as generals, right? I'm so curious, what am I going to do next? Why we're forgetting to live in this moment, right? Today. Like I'm already thinking about tomorrow, day after when I'm not, today has not even ended. Today has just begun.

Yeah.

Sriya (32:43.362)
Why can't I start just living in that moment? I'm having an issue myself, right, to be very honest. And lot of people will be able to resonate with that, that we don't live in the moment. And that is where the mistake is.

You're listening to Trust Me, I Know What I'm Doing. After a quick break, let's come back to our conversation with actor and artist Sriya Reddy. Stay tuned.

Abhay (33:14.05)
Conversation. It's the antidote to apathy and the catalyst for relationships. I'm Abhay Dandekar and I share conversations with global Indians and South Asians so everyone can say, trust me, I know what I'm doing. New episodes weekly wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Abhay (33:35.822)
Hi, I'm Krish Ashok, author of Masala Lab, the Science of Indian Cooking. And you're listening to Trust Me, I Know What I'm Doing.

Sriya (33:51.982)
Hi guys, I'm Indra Nooyi. Hello everyone, my name is Tan France. Hi everyone, this is Chef Vikas Khanna. Hi guys, this is Amit Tandon.

Hi, my name is Richa Moorjani and you're listening to Trust Me, I Know What I'm Doing with Abhay Dandekar.

Abhay (34:11.83)
Hi there, I'm Abhay Dandekar and you're listening to Trust Me, I Know What I'm Doing. Let's rejoin our conversation now with actor and artist Sriya Reddy. I wanna almost like pan out a little bit. The misconception of course is that for anybody who's in the film industry that they're constantly thinking about their next project because that's the mode of what we imagine that actors and directors and producers and filmmakers are.

or even those in the music industry that like, well, you must be moving on to your next project, right? And if that's a major misconception that needs to sort of be broken, is there a larger misconception about film and cinema that comes from India that is important, in fact, to demythify or to debunk?

So why do people like me? Because people like me because I'm able to bring realism into my characters. And I'm coming to your question. I'm coming to the answer for your question, but I just wanted to take a little detour to make people understand this. But if you go, you're on the constant of trying to churn out one after another. How are you going to bring reality and depth?

and integrity in what you're doing. We are humans after all. We all are made of the same thing. Like you're a doctor, right? And you are tuned to doing operations one after the other, after another. You have no option, but you have to do that, right? It's mechanical. But here it is in the space of art. It cannot be mechanical because the audiences are so smart.

that they are going to call you out sooner than later, right? So the more you bring in realism, and how does that come? When you sit back, do seldom projects, at least for me, it works that way. Because I am not a method actor. I have to feel, I have to process it, I have to do all of that. And so it takes time. So when you say, how do the, mean, what are the audiences going to react to this? I don't know, like,

Sriya (36:28.684)
I really don't know how to answer that question because...

I mean, from the element of how audiences would react, you even just sharing right now that your mission is to have that kind of reality check and to portray roles and have roles that audiences can relate to because they're just so real, they're so honest, they're characterizations that they see all around them. And now they see it in the space of

entertainment or on film or on the screen. And yet there's a huge misconception about what it takes to do that as an actor. are there bigger misconceptions about the film industry, even the South Indian film industry that you wish would just go away?

You know people have this, so once you're married you just gotta sit and do a particular kind of roles. Then when you become a mother, you're just not desirable. They don't want to see you in any of these roles. My question is, let these go. Because it is the common people's mindset. This is the common people's mindset. Where they perceive women and they want their women to be in a particular way.

Like I used to fret about it earlier, but now people are, they are understanding. So let's give them the benefit of the doubt and let's be positive, right? Instead of complaining, I don't want to do that because when people say, oh, you should have fired the gun. We wanted to see you in a fight. And I've got hundreds of messages of these. So I feel people are understanding, you know, and people are wanting to see, because we saw Kilbil, Umar Thurman's Kilbil.

Sriya (38:18.728)
moons and moons and moons ago. And I've always wanted to do a film like that. And I just feel if we were not ready for it. But today, in different ways, people are ready for films like that in India. And they're making films like that. So I think we are moving forward.

I think it's this dance between, if I'm an audience member, there's a reality all around me. Do I actually wanna see more of that reality or do I wanna escape? And do I wanna see kind of like the fantastic side of things? And yet I do think that there, I think audiences are the tone of what I imagine film and cinema that's being produced and distributed now, not just in India, but on a global basis is speaking a

to that. I actually, I was thinking about this a lot, whether or not to even ask you about this particular question, because I was thinking about you, you've certainly been an activist for skin tone bias and how it's been portrayed in media and entertainment. Have you had any particular thought about when, how your own power would feel or look? Would that be at all different?

if you were actually a male actor, is there a double bias that in a way people are, that you have to combat on a daily basis, but even more so because you're a female actor?

I know most women would have a problem with this but I somehow don't. I know that's very interesting but...

Abhay (40:01.358)
I mean, why don't you?

Because I've carved a niche for myself. I call the shots. You can't always blame the men. You can't always blame the opposite person. Like if I want to draw a certain conclusion or a certain narrative for myself, why do I have to blame anybody for it? If I'm going to carve it for myself and I'm going to say that this is my narrative, this is what I want to do, this is how I want to be treated.

This is the box that I belong with. You either accept it or you have an option of not to accept it. You come in and play if you're okay with it. And if you're not, then don't. But if you don't create your boundaries and you don't have that, then you're constantly in this battle. I'm happy in the space I am. I'm happy in the space that I've been given.

Was it difficult to get here? Yes. We have, as human beings, have a tendency to always look and say, but that person didn't do this. This person didn't give me the position. That person is like this because he's a man. He got most of it. No.

I'm curious if, you know, because it's, of course, it's taken a lot of activism and energy and effort to ensure that skin tone bias hopefully becomes something of the past. Do you think that that effort and energy would have been or become, it's easier for men to carry that mantle if there was a darker skinned man who became the activist for us?

Abhay (41:46.158)
for eliminating skin tone bias. Do you think he would have had an easier time of doing this? Or for that matter, does it that matter at all?

No, it doesn't matter at all. Because again, you're asking me a question, asking me this particular question in today's era. If you had asked me this question a decade ago, I would have had lots to tell you. And we had had to continue this conversation for another. But today, it's not important because today people are hailing the duskier skin. Today I have

Another hour or so.

Sriya (42:25.07)
So many people coming and telling me, I love the color of your skin. Today, I'm able to go on screen without makeup. I'm a brown skinned girl and I'm so happy to say that I'm a brown skinned girl. And I go on screen looking brown and I own it and I feel so proud of it. And nobody, not the cameraman, not anybody else comes and says, oh, can you just look a little fairer? It would have happened a decade ago. But here,

My DOP literally comes and tells me, just keep it, you have beautiful skin color. We want that sun to hit your face. So today, it's not important.

which I love because in a way it goes back to that entire theme of just pureness and honesty and just being your authentic self and making sure that everyone around you is celebrating that. Obviously for those people who are seeing you on screen or meeting you in person, they certainly are also informing themselves based upon some of the work you've done in the past. But for those people who might be actually

either seeing you on screen for the first time or meeting you for the first time, how do you hope they feel? What do you hope they are taking away from your portrayals or from your persona that you would like for them, in fact, to say about you when you're not around?

I think, you know, everybody is struggling. I've realized this, everybody's struggling some way or the other. The most of the richest, the most popular, everybody, everybody's struggling at some something in their life. So when you're just nice to people, it really impacts that person's life. So I have realized that be nice to whoever comes across people meeting you in a public place.

Sriya (44:20.908)
You know, I've realized, you know, assistant directors, writers, there's a one people scream most at, you know, all the, the directors scream at them, the actors scream at them, everybody. You know, the light men, the people who actually help bring a film together. Just imagine if you go and say hi, Anna.

the brunt of everything.

Abhay (44:43.063)
Yeah.

Sriya (44:47.33)
good morning, I hope you had your breakfast or something sweet to them, that will make their day. I've realized, I see Mr. Pawan Kalyan, who is the actor of OG and who is one of most renowned politicians. And when I see him being so down to earth, being nice, asking a question, did you eat? Are you okay? And just not to us, but I'm talking about everybody else.

Yeah.

What are you doing? Like, that's the thing, right? People want connect. When you're able to connect with them, just having a connect and having a conversation, not even, you don't need to have long drawn conversations, but just being nice. I think that's the greatest takeaway you can do.

Yeah.

Abhay (45:35.871)
Is that kindness and that compassion, that connection? Is that what you hope your legacy will be? I mean, do you think about that?

You know, one thing which I also wanted to tell you was I always believe in giving and I always believe in doing good for people. For me, that is if you ask me what is your end goal in life, it is that. I believe in doing for people as much as I can, impacting people's life. And I'm just not saying by performance.

on what I come on screen. If I'm able to impact somebody's life, people's lives on an everyday basis, trust me, I will be the most richest and most peaceful person in this world. And I'm not saying wait for an opportunity to be nice. Right. Right. Every day, like how doctors, right? You said that I can call you up anytime and ask you for any kind of doctorly advice. Yeah. And I mean,

what doctors are for right and and I feel why do only doctors have to be like that why don't we all be like that I mean the world will be so much a better place right so for me I would definitely want to sit back and say you know what I've done good as much as I can I don't have to push myself and do something I don't have in my hand but if I can I would

I know that audiences and fans and those who are familiar with your work, you know, from the beginning to those who are learning about you for the very first time, they're celebrating that kindness, that giving and that honesty. Sriya, thank you so much for joining. Trust me, I know what I'm doing and spending some time in conversation. I hope we can visit with you again down the road.

Sriya (47:31.712)
Absolutely, I'm looking forward to that.

Thanks again Shriya. By the way, if anyone may be curious about Hanuman Chalisa and its meanings, I've placed a link in the show notes. Thanks for listening, subscribing, reviewing, and rating. And if you can do me a solid, please share with your friends and family. Till next time, I'm Abhay Dandekar.