Exclusive: I was star-struck by Saif, says Chef actress Padmapriya Janakiraman

Padmapriya Janakiraman has worked in more than 30 films in Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali, and even in Hindi. Her last outing in Bollywood was in Chandan Arora’s 2009 flick, Striker.

Now, the actress is back to Hindi cinema, playing Saif Ali Khan’s wife in director Raja Krishna Menon’s film, Chef. Padmapriya admits that she’s thrilled to bits working with young Menon, who shot to fame with his gritty political thriller, Airlift, last year. The director has remade Jon Favreu’s Chef, where Saif reprises Favreu’s role, while Padmapriya plays Sofia Vergara’s role.

She says, “I would rate working with Raja as a high point in my career so far — not because of the on-set working experience he creates; that’s something every good director worth his salt provides — but because of his genuineness and the trust he develops with his actors. Just that makes the whole experience ethereal and unique.”

Padma loved the whole set-up of Chef. “I can’t help gushing over the infectious and challenging energy Raja and his crew bring to the table. It was so difficult for me as an actor to match up to the perfection that was created on the set,” she smiles. Most of all, Padmapriya confesses that she was awed by Saif’s presence.

“This is the first ever film in my acting career, where I was acting opposite an actor who I was actually star-struck about. So, throughout the film, and even now when the shooting is over, I still feel very spaced-out being around him.”

However, that did not stop the actress from giving it her all, playing the role of Saif’s wife.

“Thanks to a wonderful script, Saif’s elegant patience and intense work space, there were definite moments that both of us shared, which were powerful. I can’t wait to witness them on the big screen,” she signs off.