“10 years from now, when you look back, how do you want your life and career to be,” we asked Priyamani. In her two-decade career, she has done a wide range of roles, winning both critical and commercial acclaim. She’s not just been Saira Rahim in Maidaan (2024), Chief Minister Dakshayani in Custody (2023), Suchitra Tiwari in The Family Man (since 2019), Lakshmi in Jawan (2023), and the dancer in Chennai Express’ (2013) song “1 2 3 4 Get on the Dance Floor”. She has also earned widespread appreciation for her performances in works like Paruthiveeran (2007), which brought her a National Film Award for Best Actress, Thirakkatha (2008), Pranchiyettan and the Saint (2011) and Chaarulatha (2012), among others.
But when SCREEN asked her this question during an exclusive interview, Priyamani’s answer was simple and straightforward, just like her. No embellishments, no castles in the air. “I want to feel satisfied and happy that I got to work on some wonderful projects. And hopefully, if God and my family are willing, I will continue to work.” Nonetheless, she also shared a dream she hopes will come true someday. “Even otherwise, I might don a director’s hat and sit behind the camera at least once, to see how life is on that side.”
Though she has had this dream for two decades, working with legendary actor-turned-director Revathy, and seeing so many women step into that role, compelled her even more. As their latest Tamil legal drama series, Good Wife, an adaptation of the American show The Good Wife, is now out, Priyamani shares when this dream first emerged. “I have had this desire for a while now, probably since the time I worked with Balu Mahendra sir in Adhu Oru Kana Kaalam (2005). He was the first one to teach me (the technical aspects), though I didn’t understand much about it back then. But seeing a lot of lovely women directing these days, it has definitely given me hope that one day I might. Let’s see, fingers crossed,” she says.
Although this is not the first Indian adaptation The Good Wife has received — the 2024 Hindi series The Trial, starring Kajol, was also based on the American original created by Robert and Michelle King — Priyamani attests that the Tamil iteration has taken creative liberties to become more than just another remake. “There are certain aspects that are quite similar to the Hindi and the original versions, like the scandal, the female lead’s life turning upside down, her coming back to work and getting a job again at a law firm,” she admits, adding, “But apart from that, everything else is changed.”
Watch SCREEN’s exclusive interview with Darshana Rajendran here:
Priyamani explains that the Tamil show also tries to explore the psyche of the two children of the central couple, Tarunika (Priyamani) and Gunaseelan (Sampath Raj), who too are emotionally ravaged by the scandal surrounding their father. “Since the kids are as much affected as Tarunika is, Good Wife has looked into that aspect too, showing how the kids’ lives are impacted, including at school. There’s a rebellious side from the boy. At the same time, there’s another side from the girl, because at the end of the day, girls are always closer to their fathers and boys to their mothers, right? We have shown that as well. (Even amid all the chaos) The daughter is still quite close to her father and misses him. She still listens to his audio tapes and watches his videos. Whereas the boy is more worried about his mother and sister. But as he gradually understands where his mother is coming from and that she’s now a single parent raising them on her own, he comes to see what she’s going through. The show touches upon such dynamics as well,” the actor says.
She adds, “The series also focuses on the relationship between Tarunika and her mother-in-law. At the end of the day, it’s her son who is behind bars. Besides all this, Tarunika also has to ensure that at least a day goes by without any problems while trying to prove herself during her six-month probationary period at work. So it also looks at her attempts to strike a balance between the professional and the personal. All those factors really worked for me, and that’s what drew me to Good Wife. And the icing on the cake was that Revathy ma’am was directing it, and Hotstar had taken it up. It was a win-win situation for me.”
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time she worked with director Revathy. Priyamani also played a key role in her previous directorial venture, Salaam Venky (2022). So, what does Revathy excel at more, acting or directing? Priyamani answers, “She’s equally a fabulous actor and a fantastic director. Since she’s an actor too, when she’s directing, she understands the point of view of an actor as well. She knows what’s needed and what isn’t, what can be tapped, how to go about getting the required performance, what’s comfortable and what’s not. She was an absolute pleasure to work with. She’s already proven herself as both an actor and a director with so many projects. I think she excels in both.”
