Priya Prakash Varrier winked her way to become an overnight internet sensation amassing 6.4 million followers on Instagram, two million more than the social media platform’s billionaire owner Mark Zuckerberg. Her ‘eyebrow dance and wink’ in a 10-second YouTube clip in the love song ‘Manikya Malaraya Poovi’ from her upcoming flick Oru Adaar Love has taken her to further heights of popularity among netizens.
The young actress, along with the team including co-star Roshan Abdul Rahoof, is in the city to promote OAL, being released in Tamil by Kalaipuli Thanu. Priya admits that she was roped in for the film as a junior artiste only. But her ‘wink act’ set the ball rolling and director Omar Lulu increased the length of her role.
Priya speaks to us about how she handled the controversial situations like the court cases with regard to OAL, her second film marking her Bollywood debut Sridevi Bungalow which is already in the eye of a storm, about acting in smoking and drinking scenes and wanting to pair up with Vijay Sethupathi.
From junior artiste to heroine in OAL:
I came on as a junior artiste in the film. Seeing my performance, the director decided to increase my role. Later it got developed. My character’s name is Priya, a school student who falls in adolescent love.
Great to get simultaneous release in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada:
I feel happy to get a simultaneous debut in other languages. It started as a Malayalam film and today has become very big. The script was altered to suit other languages.
Tell us your life before and after the 10-second viral ‘Wink’ video:
Personally there’s no change. I went through a lot of experiences and learnt a lot. Professionally also I got very busy. The wink scene was not in the writing stage. It was introduced while shooting. The director asked us to do it on the spot and it was not a prepared or practised scene. And we got it right. Among the celebrities, it was Allu Arjun sir who tweeted first appreciating it.
What’s special about OAL:
Many have asked what’s new about Odu Adaar Love? It is not the wink or the teaser. There’s a spark in it. There’s a fresh love story. The meaning of the title is ‘Love that’s extraordinary.’
Favourite hero in Tamil:
I want to pair up with Vijay Sethupathi. I like Vijay sir, Ajith sir as well.
Favourite heroine:
Nayanthara is my favorite and in all India level, it is Deepika Padukone. My favourite film in Tamil is Raja Rani.
How do you handle controversies? First film has lot of court cases and 2nd film Sridevi Bungalow is also facing so many problems. How did you face this mentally?
On a personal level, I also hear all these rumours. It is not affecting me in any way. I am just performing the character that is given to me. The rest of it is up to the producers and directors.
We have seen even big actresses hesitate to act in smoking scenes. Being a starter, what made you to accept a role smoking cigarettes and drinking?
Ayyo! That’s a flavoured smoke — there’s no tobacco content. I just had cranberry juice in the drinking scene. It is the character, which is doing those things and not me. I personally don’t advocate smoking or drinking.
There’s a rumour that you are in love:
Really? As you said, ‘let it be just a rumour’.
The tattoo on the left of your chest has also created a big buzz.
I just wanted to have a tattoo. I liked the meaning of the symbol and hence tattooed it. It means ‘Live in the present’ in Latin language.
Will yours be a love marriage:
I have a long way to go. It will be a love marriage only and I prefer someone who would understand me as a person.
