It’s Mumbai calling for K’wood actresses

Now, actresses from Kollywood determined to make it big in Hindi films are moving bag and baggage to Bollywood.
So confident was Asin that her first Hindi film would be a superhit that she uprooted herself from Chennai and shifted lock, stock and barrel to Mumbai, even before Ghajini was released. Close on her heels were her parents, who gave up their careers (her mother’s a doctor, dad’s a businessman) and moved in with their daughter to the suburb of Bandra, where they found a place to stay.
Asin’s film went on to break box-office records in the city and after that, the actress shifted to the posh Lokandwala area, in a building which housed other high-profile names like Sridevi and Tabu.
Following suit is Shruti Haasan, who made her Bollywood debut with the film Luck opposite Imran Khan. This musician, actress and daughter of Kamal Haasan, realised that if she wants to seriously pursue a career in either of her twin passions, music or films, Mumbai’s where the action is. So it wasn’t surprising when she tweeted recently: ‘Hi mumbai..the hunt for an apartment is on! Not going down without a fight. I’m looking for a home not a house..easier said than done I guess!’
Then again: ‘Might just have found a house I like...fingers crossed... need some home-finding prayers.’ When contacted, Shruti did admit that she wanted to move to Mumbai. “I always have a home in Chennai. So this is nothing but a work-related move,” was all she would say about her decision.
Not all South actresses are quite so quick to make the switch. Like Trisha, who’s making her foray into Bollywood with Akshay Kumar in Khatta Meetha under Priyadarshan’s direction. “A lot of people want to know whether I’m going to shift to Mumbai. I don’t think I would do that. I am very much grounded in Chennai and I love my city!”
But she’s quick to add, that it all depends upon the outcome of her first Hindi film. Trisha has a three-film contract with Akshay Kumar, so Bollywood might find her living in its midst sooner than she realises.
Yet another actress who is very much grounded in south is Padmapriya, whose debut Hindi film Striker with Siddharth has just released. Ask her if she would shift base to Mumbai and she says, “No way. I’m happy with the way my career is shaping up in south. Of course, B’wood gives an artiste the much-needed exposure, but that doesn’t mean I would shift to Mumbai once and for all.”