Saranya Ponvannan is a busy bee right now. She’s shooting in Mumbai for Suriya’s 24 , short-listing students for the next batch at DSOFT, her school of fashion design, and wrapping up work on some other films that will showcase her in a brand new avatar.
The first among them is Itli , a film directed by Vidyadharan. The film is about three middle-aged women — Inba (Saranya), Twinkle (Kovai Sarala) and Lilly (Kalpana) — who live together, away from their families. When faced with a crisis, the mild-mannered women decide to do something totally against their grain — they decide to rob a bank. “Everything about the film is fresh. You would not often see women living away from families at this age, yet supporting them. Neither do you see women preparing themselves to rob a bank. The newness in the script really excited me,” says Saranya.
Working with Sarala and Kalpana is a breeze, says the actress. She especially bonds with Kalpana, for they are childhood friends — Kalpana and her family have acted in Saranya’s father A. B. Raj’s Malayalam films. “It’s lovely to interact with someone without any inhibitions and without having to worry that what you say will be misconstrued. With childhood friends, there’s a rare trust,” she says. “In fact, I’m having so much fun, even my assistant wonders if this is the same Saranya who is normally reserved and stops with a quiet smile,” she adds.
Itli will also see Saranya ride a bike after many years. “We escape from the bank on a bike, and the last time I rode a bike was in 1989 for Artham , my first Malayalam film. People tell me that once you learn to ride, you never forget it. I’m hoping that’s true,” she laughs. If all works out well, Saranya might also sing for this film; her second song after the number in Ennamo Nadakudhu .
Also on the cards for her is Achamindri , directed by Rajapandi. “I play my age, but it is a very challenging role, and will help break my image. I’m excited as a performer and am also waiting to see how the audience will accept the new me.”
Saranya also essays an interesting role in the Tamil remake of Bangalore Days and plays Vishnu’s mother in Veera Dheera Sooran. “I’m running between sets, but I still ensure I am there for my designing students. It is joyous to see rank newcomers design and tailor clothes well under your guidance,” she says.
