“I have no inhibitions for lip-lock scenes so long as the filmmaker doesn’t objectify women and justifies the act in the script”, Shalini Pandey of Arjun Reddy fame tells DC as she opens up exclusively about her conservative family, how her parents did not approve her choice of being an actress, her ‘marriage phobia’, her detached nature which never allows her to get into serious relationships, the casting couch and nightmarish experience working with a real chimpanzee in Gorilla etc.
“My parents were very protective of me and wanted me to take up job after completing my engineering. But my focus was only on films and hence, I pursued my passion. I also have a theatre background and was regular in all cultural shows in my college. Even as a child, I would sit in front of the mirror and imitate scenes from films, which I watched. Finally, it was my perseverance which won and I signed Arjun Reddy (smiles.)”
There were rumours that you were anguished while doing the intimate romantic scenes in AR as you just had two breakups then. “Oh really! That’s news to me. I am a detached person in reality. I am not a person who gets heartbreaks. I have never fallen in love with anyone that seriously to have a breakup. Moreover, all my time and energy were going into convincing my parents to let me act in films.”
There were innumerable lip-locks and intimate scenes in AR. Are you open to such scenes if Tamil filmmakers expect that out of you? “Arjun Reddy was a pure, emotional love story. To kiss was just to show your intense emotions and not just to titillate. And director Sandeep portrayed it in a sensible and sensuous manner. So, I didn’t have any qualms. Even in Tamil if the concerned filmmaker justifies the scene in the script, I wouldn’t mind doing them. But if they are forced, I would never budge.”
The svelte actress is of the opinion that casting couch exists everywhere. “I have friends working in IT and doctors by profession who have gone through similar problems. It doesn’t come to the limelight. Since film personalities are in showbiz, people want to know more about their personal life. I am working alone in this industry and it is not as bad as they project. I had wonderful experiences right from my first movie. At the end of the day, it is how you perceive it. It is up to you to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
Now that you are acting in 100 percent Kadhal, the Tamil remake of T’town hit 100 Percent Love comparisons are bound to happen with Tamannah who played the original. “Yes, I am aware of it. I just watched the original to know the storyline. I will not copy or repeat Tamannah even in one scene and want to bring originality to my role.”
Talking about her horrifying experience acting alongside a real chimpanzee named Kong in Jiiva’s action adventure Gorilla, Shalini quips, “I am fond of pets and when I realised we were going to work with a real chimp, I literally jumped on the idea. But only when we started shooting did I understand the real situation. Kong was a she (female) and she hates girls. So, she would always be in an angry mood with me. It was scary (shakes her head).”
Will yours be an arranged or love marriage? Laughs. “Marriage? I have a long way to go in films. No time to think of marriage. In any case I have something called ‘Marriage phobia’. However, I think the concept of arranged marriage is changed. It is only love marriage that’s prevalent now. I need to know the person and have to be friends to understand him.”
The young girl, who feels proud to have been part of Nadigaiyar Thilagam, is kicked about a new film. “Yes, it is a woman-centric movie by a debutant and I am excited about its script. Hopefully, things would fall in place and I would freeze on the project,” she signs off with a contented smile.
