I don’t watch Tamil serials: Chaya

Actress Chaya Singh will be in the city today to gauge audience reaction to her Anandhapurathu Veedu, which hits the screen today. This will be her first release in the last two years, but the actress doesn’t seem perturbed. “After Thiruda Thirudi, I was offered only glamorous roles or dance numbers in films. But I wanted to act. So, I chose roles that gave me opportunities to hone my acting skills. I did several movies in Malayalam, Kananda and Bengali. My last release in Tamil, Vallamai Thaaraayo, was a hit and it established me as a talented actress. And now, I’m sure Anandhapurathu Veedu will raise my bar as an actress,” she says.



So, how did Anandhapurathu Veedu happen? “Director Naga had seen my photo in a magazine and called me up. He narrated the script and told me he wanted to start the schedule immediately. I loved his narration and jumped on board without having any second thoughts,” she smiles.

Apparently, Chaya didn’t have a clue about Naga before starting his project. “As I don’t watch Tamil serials, I didn’t know anything about Naga. But I enquired and found that all his serials were received well by the Tamil audience and that he was quite popular! And when I met him on sets, I was bowled over by his knowledge. He’s such a calm person and is always helpful. He’s a powerhouse of talent,” she says.
Chaya is all praise for her co-star, Nandaa. “He is so subtle when it comes to delivering a performance that I sometimes feel I overreact! He also helped me with pronouncing Tamil words,” she says.

The film, Chaya says, is a supernatural thriller. “The movie will keep you on the edge of your seat. There are no gory scenes and blood-curdling screams. But it will work on the psychology of the audience,” she says.

So, does she believe in ghosts and supernatural existence? “Yes, I firmly believe that there’s good and evil in the world. As I believe in God, I also believe in ghosts,” she states matter-of-factly.


Paper tales
Origami, the art of folding papers, has been featured in several serials directed by Naga. And Chaya is happy she could learn the art from the master himself! “I insisted that Naga teach me origami. And he patiently explained the history and process of the art. Now, I can say that I’m pretty good in the art of paper-folding!” she says.
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