Swathi, who is successfully juggling work in three industries — Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam — is looking forward to her upcoming film Tripura, which is touted to be a suspense thriller.
“I am playing a newly-married housewife who’s from a village,” says Swathi, adding, “The character has these dreams and some of them become real. The story revolves around this point.”
The actress had to put on nearly six kilos for the role. “Everyone says that I look like a college girl but in the film, I had to look like a typical housewife. So I had to put on some weight,” she says, adding that she wore regular saris instead of designer ones to look the part.
Tripura’s director, Raja Kiran, had tasted success with his earlier film Geethanjali, a horror comedy. And many thought that this was a sequel. Says Swathi, “No, the story is completely different.”
In real life, she says that her dreams would be quite different. “I used to dream when I was in college that I had got a scholarship and was going to the US for further studies, which I didn’t like.”
Naveen Chandra is the lead actor opposite Swathi. “The first time I met Naveen was while shooting the wedding scene. He is a decent person and mostly concentrates on his work,” she says.
Tripura is Swathi’s first Telugu film after last year’s Karthikeya, which was a hit. Why isn’t she getting more offers in Telugu? “I don’t know, you have to ask the directors. I don’t think about it. I have many Tamil and Malayalam films and I am happy with my journey,” she says.
The actress adds that she is in a happy space now. “These days, I am getting enough time to spend with my parents. This is the best time of my life and also the best age, as I am not married. So we are having nice conversations about life, my future partner and many other things. I am also reading good literature,” says Swathi.
“I recently went for a vacation with my mother and I realised that there was so much more to life in the world outside. I am living in the present. I don’t look back at what I have done and I don’t think about what will happen tomorrow,” says Swathi.
Asked about her marriage, she says, “If anyone comes into my life with full commitment then I will think about it. I am taking it as it comes and am not bothered about it,” she says.
Talking about Shah Rukh Khan’s message to women on marriage on his birthday, “jab hoga ho jayega and keep working”, Swathi says that it’s sound, practical advice. She adds that after marriage, she wants to settle down and concentrate on becoming a housewife.
When asked how she prepares for her characters, she says that she lives the characters for a few days. “Luckily, all my directors have given me elaborate narrations of the script. So I think about my character constantly, even when I watch TV. I think about what outfits would be ideal, the hair, etc. At the same time, I never underestimate the director’s vision because he created it. So when I reach the location, I discuss with the director about the scene,” she says.
Talking about reports that she has signed a film with Nikhil, Swathi says that the project is not yet finalised and that she’s currently committed to a few Tamil and Malayalam films.
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