Sangeetha

:: Star Talk :: Sangeetha
Sangeetha created a splash in Tamil with her role in 'Uyir'. While malicious tongues are wagging about how the controversy was created to make an ordinary film run well, none can dispute that this young lady did one great job in the film.
The talented and articulate young actress entered filmdom in her teens and has carved a place for herself in the industry by sheer hard work. She has acted in around fifty films in all the south Indian languages put together. "I am an ordinary person, really," she insists, despite her numerous achievements.
She discusses her childhood, work and recent success.
Watching several films when I was a kid was an important reason for considering acting as a career. The stellar performances I saw on screen then have all inspired me in different ways. These same stars have also made me desire to be like them. I want to be as successful, as inspiring.
It is true that I refused offers to act when I was quite young. I was surrounded by people related to the industry and had every opportunity to start my career much earlier than I did. There was also more pressure than I would have liked to enter an industry I was inclined to in any case.
K.R. Balan, my grandfather and film industry stalwart, was keen that I try my hand at it. My mother Banumathy too expressed her desire to see me excelling at some art. I was learning Bharathanatyam at the time but that was not enough for her. After much persuasion and encouragement, I was more or less forced to act when I was around 14 or 15.
Looking back, I am convinced that it was the wrong time to enter the field. I lost out on the fun of normal school and college life. I would definitely not let my children act when they are too young. Even if they should express interest, I would tell them to wait till they are able to clearly see what the decision will mean.
Twenty-one is the ideal age to start acting. I would let them make the decision then. My teens were spent working round the clock and now I want to relax and take my time choosing good roles.
I entered films under the name of Rasika. My first film was 'Poonjolai', directed by Gangai Amaran. Now I am acting under my real name, Sangeetha. I think it is luckier for me. My film count in the South Indian languages is touching fifty now. I am content with what I have achieved so far.
I have not done as many roles as I would like in Tamil though. It is not that I am refusing roles in Tamil. I first have to have the required days free in my schedule. I also am interested only in those roles that give me scope for good performance.
'Pithamagan' is among my favourite Tamil films. Full credit for the character I played in the film goes to director Bala. That character's speech and behaviour were all a reflection of his imagination. When I am told about a character, I begin to imagine how she would walk, tie her sari, talk, but when the director has a very clear image of the role I just have to follow directions. That is what I did for 'Pithamagan' as the ganja seller. I had to do a lot of hard work for the character but director Bala ensured that the hard work was interesting at all times. I was really excited when my performance in 'Pithamagan' gained me the praise of B. Sarojadevi. I was speechless when she told me that I had done a great job. For 'Uyir', I thought long and hard for a suitable female role model to shape Arundhati. None came to mind. I finally thought of Ajit's performance in 'Vaali' and Prakash Raj's in 'Aasai'. That helped me conceptualise my role better. They are the true inspiration for Arundhati. Several people have asked for my response to Vadivel's speech criticising 'Uyir' at the 'Thambi' 110th Day celebrations. I can only say that he has the right to hold and express his own opinions. The only thing that I had a problem with was the fact that he chose to do it in a public meeting. He could have easily spoken to the director and producer and expressed his displeasure. Though I am not getting good roles in Tamil, things seem to be going better in Telugu. Every character that I have done in Telugu was different and successful. I have done 24 Telugu films besides 17 in Malayalam and 4 in Kannada. My favourites are 'Khadgam' in Telugu, which made me quite popular there, 'Nalla' in Kannada and 'Pellam Ooruvellithe' and 'Deepasthambam' in Malayalam. I am not very happy about the fact that my film count in Tamil is only seven but I will never go asking for roles. Those that come to me, I will do well. Since I cannot sit around doing nothing, I am accepting Telugu films that have appealing scripts. I even have a permanent hotel room there where I stay whether I am there on work or not. But I am definitely not shifting to Hyderabad. Why would I do that when I have a loving family and beautiful home in Madras? Being in Hyderabad frequently has its perks, though. I am big fan of the Hollywood actor Richard Gere. He was in town for an AIDS awareness programme. So, of course, I had to attend it. I went up and shook hands with him afterwards. There are several rumours doing the rounds about me, about how I am being hounded out of town and have settled in Hyderabad and about how I am refusing to act with senior actors. Initially I used to be hurt and worried about how this would affect my career. Now, I don't let them bother me. I have always chosen roles based on whether they appeal to me. Seniority, second heroine and sister-in-law roles are all welcome as long as they give me the space to put in a memorable performance. My ambitions are quite ordinary actually. I am a normal person trying to live and survive in the industry. I had to struggle a lot in the beginning. Now I am happy with what I have done so far. There is also much that I want to do. But my ambitions cannot disturb my peace of mind. I want to live quietly and help those around me as much as I can