There is one facility with Harish Shankar. He speaks. So much so that you don’t need to ask him questions in an interview. He almost answers all the questions in the journalists’ minds even before they are asked. Buoyed by the increasing positive talk for the film and availability of his heroine Shruti Hassan, he spoke at a pressmeet to discuss her role in the film, the way she portrayed, her professionalism and why she, for the role in the first place.

Excerpts from the pressmeet...

Shruti Happened For ‘Ramayya Vastavayya’

While doing ‘Gabbar Singh’, I have observed Shruti Hassan very closely and thought that her original demeanor outside the ‘Bhagya Lakshmi’ roles she did was much different and I told that I would design a very modern role for her in jeans and Tees. So, when we thought of ‘Ammulu’ role in ‘Ramayya Vastavayya’, I thought why not her. Though I had apprehensions about whether she would accept the role, I went ahead and asked her and to my huge relief, she readily accepted the offer and allocated more dates than I had asked her for. I take this opportunity to thank her for adding grace to the film with your presence, in spite of being so busy with your schedules.

Special, Not Second...

I say hers is a special role, not the second fiddle. Ammulu is as important as Akarsha and the value she adds in the second half of the film is unimaginable and Shruti played the role with such ease and poise that has elevated the role to a new plane altogether.

No Need For A Name...

She is loved by the entire village, not just one human being and the pet name ‘Ammulu’ suited her perfectly, I didn’t want to name the character separately.

Thanks To Sravana Bhargavi...

No, she didn’t dub her lines in the film but was done by Sravana Bhargavi and her voice suited Shruti so aptly that we used it in both Gabbar Singh and Ramayya Vastavayya. Sravana Bhargavi prepared herself well for the dubbing and I thank her particularly for her effort.

Exceptional Job...

Ammulu has several shades in the short presence she has on screen. Tenderness while loving a poor boy, Force while fighting the villains, elderly conduct when talking to the entire village… Shruti did an exceptional job in portraying all the shades in the right mix. The response the female audiences are giving to the second half is in itself reflects the success her character has garnered.

She Is More Telugu Now...

The one difference I noticed in Shruti from GS to RV is perhaps the confidence levels in her. It could be because of the success she’s got from Gabbar Singh, Balupu and D Day in Bollywood. Barring that, she hasn’t changed a bit in terms of her dedication, professionalism and co-operative nature. Yeah, the other striking difference is, she is more Telugu than she was before. I can safely vouch that in short time, she would dub her own voice.

Wish Her The Best...

Shruti is such a workaholic, I am sure she wouldn’t have had a quiet evening by herself or with family in the past one year. She was either traveling or shooting. I am sure, with the kind of devotion, passion and focus she has, she will go to much heights in future and I wish her the best.

Average To Hit To Super Hit...

Though movie has taken off with a divided feedback, it morphed into a positive talk and is now a super hit talk from all across the state and even overseas. So, I thank the media especially for spreading the right feedback about the film into the public and helping the movie gain the ground it needs. Now, the success is unstoppable.