Shruti Haasan on North-South films: Art is the master communicator, and not the language

Shruti Haasan. (Photos by Adrin Sequeira)

Singer-songwriter and actress Shruti Haasan is going through a purple patch. Her second original track, 'She is A Hero' (launched in September), is the first release from her company BLCK. Haasan also has three big banner films coming up, two of which are pan-India releases. And her 2012 film ‘3’ is celebrating its 10th anniversary and recently re-released in theatres.

In an interview with Moneycontrol, Haasan spoke about the North-South industry, her music, acting, her relationship with artist Santanu Hazarika, her parents Kamal Haasan, Sarika and more…

You have worked in Hindi as well as South films, as has your father, Kamal Haasan. How has the experience been so far - getting the best of both worlds?

I don't differentiate it like that at all. Actually, I just feel that art is the master communicator and not the language. Even our song, 'She Is A Hero', could have been Tamil or Telugu. It just happens to be in Hindi, especially because of MC Altaf who has an amazing talent of rapping in Hindi. Whether it is music or movies, I don't compartmentalise like that into languages, it's really all about the emotions.

Tell us about your upcoming film projects…

We are currently shooting for Salaar opposite Prabhas, Chiru 154 opposite Cheeranjeevi and NBK 107 opposite Nandamuri Balakrishna. I am on three films currently as we speak and it's been very hectic and then there is this song releasing in the middle of it but this is how it has to be! I wanted to find that balance between music and film.

#BoycottBollywood has been trending on social media lately. Tell us about your opinion on such social media hashtags.

I just feel that it's a lot of sentiments and all across, you know. It's extremely detrimental to the business and I wish I could understand it more because it seems to be happening quite often. I think I am not able to understand where it all comes from. But I do believe that art can't be checked and censored so much.

Tell us about your latest song…

It's been in the making for a while, and it's great to finally share it with the world with the message that we wanted to put across. And to see people appreciating it is just truly a gift.

The song was originally written earlier just with my vocals and then finally it was my partner Santanu’s art exhibition, where Karan Kanchan, Karan Parikh, MC Altaf and I, performed together and that's when Altaf came on to the song and once he came in, it was just magical. The song had this energy already and he took it to the whole new level truthfully, so it's just been amazing working with him.

I originally wrote this song in the beginning of 2022 though I had a rough idea about it in 2021. When I write, I write very autobiographically from some part of me. So for me, the thing was that I wanted to write from a place which was autobiographical but also larger than myself. And I felt that if I write about my perspective as a woman it would appeal to more women and more people and that was really my approach.

Your favouite film?

Mughal-e-Azam. I am obsessed with Dilip Kumar. He is the coolest man ever and I am obsessed with Kishore Kumar too!

Favourite book?

Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach as well as The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway.

Favourite South Indian film?

Mahanadhi. Is it really bad to say my own dad's movie? Because one of my favourite films of all time in Tamil is Mahanadhi and it stars my father!

Fav singer?

Sunidhi Chauhan. I was really young when her song came out and I loved her voice. She had this most powerful reverberating voice that blew my mind. Yes of course before her it’s always Asha Bhosle. She is really close to my mother and when she’d come home, she would sing in front of us and I was like, ‘Oh my God, I would love to sing one day’. She is a huge inspiration to me.