Actor Shruti Haasan admitted that not all South Indian stars are as humble as they seem to be, but that many of them actually are. In an interview, she was asked why this is, and she said that they operate out of fear. “They believe that it will all go away if they aren’t humble,” she said, as she opened up about Rajinikanth and Prabhas. In her career, Shruti has worked with some of the biggest South Indian stars; her next film is Rajinikanth’s Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj and featuring Aamir Khan in a cameo.
Appearing on Ranveer Allahbadia’s podcast, Shruti said that there is a slight difference in how the Southern states of India perceive the arts, and how that influences the personality of the people. “They feel that Saraswati ka haath hat jayega, and there is a great humility in the face of the business of art, art, and artistry. There is a fear in them. So, you’ll see the biggest of stars not take it for granted. They have to stay humble. For the sake of success they stay humble, that is the keyword.”
Shruti said that there are some outliers as well, there is always a fear that all their success will go away if they don’t remain grounded. “How they navigate it is different. And also, what is valued as projection in society is also a little different.” Shruti expressed her gratitude to the Telugu film industry, and said that she first experienced success there, after trying and failing before.
Speaking about her career origins, she said, “My life changed because Telugu gave me my first home of success. Hyderabad and I have always had a connection. Years ago, my father won an award, and he couldn’t go. So, I went, and he’d given me a speech to read out. At the end, I said, ‘Some day, I’ll be here to collect my own award.’ I actually thought I’d become a director and win an award, but I went and became a heroine.”
Shruti said that both Pawan Kalyan and Vijay are ‘very quiet gentlemen’, but Prabhas isn’t. “He’s so fun. He’s been so kind to me. He’s thankful (for his success), but he’s very nonchalant. Some days, he’s still processing it, to be honest. He’s seen his share of challenges, and now this has happened; there’s something very human and sweet about him.” About Rajinikanth, Shruti said, “He is a unique mix of characteristics, and he is shrewd and sharp. But he is also very warm, and I even told him that he was very cool to talk to. He is very nice and easy to converse with; he doesn’t carry the gravitas with him. He always brings good energy with him on the set, and everyone is happy to work with him.”
