Sherin

It was a hot and muggy day and it was a relief to be in the chill lobby of the Green Park Hotel in suburban Chennai. I was to meet Sherin, the heroine of the G V Films production titled 'Urchagam'. The numerologists seem to have gotten to her before us because she now spells her name as Shirrin. I was hoping she wouldn't come down too soon. I needed to cool down a bit before I met her, but no such luck. Her mother came out of the room almost immediately and walked across to where I was sitting in the lobby. She had hardly sat down when Shirrin joined us. Incidentally her name sounded like the noise an insect would make but she looks like no insect, believe me.

She looks the kind of girl that makes a man glad to be born a man. We shook hands, exchanged greetings and then she suggested we go to the coffee shop. Comfortably seated in the lounge area she ordered a tea for me and we were about to started our conversation when it was we had to leave. Shirrin had a tight schedule for the day full of interviews with other publications so we decided to continue the
conversation during the drive. Just when we were about to leave a small girl walked up to Shirrin and greeted her shyly. Everybody was impatient to leave but madam took her own sweet time to have a chat with the small girl.

"This will keep me in high spirits the whole day" she said once the little girl left.

Black and yellow taxis stand out among a million coloured cars on the road so you can imagine the effect a good looking girl wearing a black and yellow outfit had on people. She attracted attention like iron filings to a magnet. At every intersection curious people kept staring at her when the car stopped for the lights to change. She and her mother sat in the middle row of seats while I sat in the back row sandwiched between her PRO on one side and a lot of boxes on the other. It was a tight squeeze in the car and Shirrin had to turn constantly around to talk to me. I am sure she had a crick in the neck by the time we ended the interview.

You have completed your shoot for the film "Urchagam". How was it working with the film director Ravichandran?
"He is an excellent director. He has an abundance of patience. Anyone else would have gone mad. He takes time to explains all the scenes and gets the best performance from us. He might appear ordinary to some people but he knows his job inside-out and he works towards perfection".

Give us some dope on your family background?
"Ours is a perfect nuclear family. Me, my mom and my dad".

No siblings
"Nope. I am the only child and we are a close-knit family. My dad is out of station most of the time taking care of his business and my mother takes good care of me.I am very close to my mom and we share an excellent bond.

How were your school and Junior college days?
"I did my schooling in Kaveri School Bangalore and my junior college ( +1 & +2 ) at Baldwin Junior College Mumbai. I was very naughty - a real brat during my school days. I used to be very talkative".

Why the past tense, you're doing pretty all right now too.
"Then you should have seen me those days. I was playful and though people find it hard to believe it, I was pretty aggressive too. Sometimes I even pinched the boys".

Did you say pinched or punched? That would have been something.
"I said pinched, though it may not have been such a bad idea to have punched a few of the boys". She says her teachers made her stand outside the class in the corridor as punishment.

How was it when you got sent out for the first time?

"I was very embarrassed, even ashamed but then when it became a regular affair I got used to it. (laughs)

From naughty girl in the class to the lead actress of "Thulluvatho Ilamai"; how did that  happen?
"I took part in theatre during my school days and during one performance at our school Annual day Kasturi Raja who was there spotted me. Later they contacted my family and asked me to come for a screen test. I did do the screen test, but I lost hope when no call came for months. I kept waiting and then the call came one day and that's how I did the
movie".

There were some intimate scenes between you and Dhanush in "Thulluvatho Ilamai". You handled them pretty well I must say, for a newcomer. What were your feelings at that time?
"Actually the scenes were taken separately in small shoots, it was just 'Action' "Cut" done over and over. I FELT NOTHING"!!! But the audience believed they were seeing some Lolita
type in front of them on the big, screen "Yes, I now know".

What do you think about the manner in which the movie was promoted? Like Teen erotica?
"I came to Chennai to watch the movie and while driving through Chennai I saw the film posters. Some of them were so bad that I cried".
She was just 15 yrs when the movie released!!!

Do you think the director gave you a raw deal or was unjust to you ?
"May be it was the only way he could have done it. The story of the movie demanded it. The movie became the biggest hit of the year and the doors to the world of Cinema opened to me. I will always be thankful to Kasturi Raja .

Teenaged school girl to film lead actress, how did you handle the transformation?
"Even before movies happened I was into modeling for ramp shows and some commercials".

Name one of your commercials?
"Horlicks".

 

Surely she couldn't have featured in one of those kachang, pachang, shachang jingles! But you never know.

Which was your most memorable ramp show? The one that gave you immense pleasure and a sense of involvement?
"It was a ramp show I did on New Year's Eve in a famous Hotel. We all practiced very hard for weeks and the theme was based on Egyptian civilization – the arts and culture and the famous Egyptian Queen Nefertiti. Queen Nefertiti rolls down the ramp, then she rises to start walking the ramp wearing those beautiful costumes. I as QueenNefertiti (Nefertiti means "The beautiful one has arrived"). When the show happened and as I walked the ramp as Queen Nefertiti the emotions and the feelings Iexperienced are difficult to be explained in words. It was a very special moment".
(There was satisfaction across her sensitive face, her eyes widened expressively as she talked about this special moment )

Apart from acting what else you are doing?
"I am doing my B.A through correspondence at Bangalore University".

How do you manage to keep up with your books?
"It's very tough in the semester system. Tests are on your head ever so often. I had to keep in constant touch with my books. I take my text books along while traveling and during shoots and try to read when there is free time".

I am impressed at your dedication …you seem to be a seriously determined girl
"Yup. It's a pretty difficult task". (Smiles)

Who are your closest buddies ?
"When I was at the Kaveri School, Sandhya was my closest friend. We did many naughty things together (I am sure she did that) but I lost contact with her when I moved to Mumbai. In Baldwin Junior College Sadiyaa was my good pal. Now she is working in Mumbai and I am busy with my movies so we don't meet too often but we are still in touch occasionally.

How come all your friends' names start with the letter'S'? Do you choose them for that?
"Yes and my name also starts with 'S'. 'S' for Shirrin".

You're full of surprises. 'S' is also for Star. Tell me about your teenage crushes?
'I had a crush on a boy who studied in the Xth standard but that ended when the school ended and then I moved to Mumbai".

May I know your date of birth? I don't need the year and your full name?
5th May and my full name -- SHIRRIN SHRINGAAR

You have many fans but fans get obsessive and do strange things. Did you have any frightening or funny experiences with your fans?
"I was shooting in Madurai and I stayed in this hotel whose name I don't remember. I was in the lift one day a man standing next to me kept staring at me and then he said "I WANT TO TOUCH YOUR TEETH". I was a bit frightened but I also found it to be funny. I didn't know how to react. I mean he wanted to touch my teeth! I have good teeth but touching them? I just stood there looking blank. I get many marriage proposals from all sorts of men. Some single some even divorced".

It's not a crime to be divorced you know?
"That's true but let them hit on someone else".

Talking of obsessions, do you have you any obsession for material things?
"I am obsessed with 'SHOES'. I've got wardrobes full of shoes, close to 75 pairs. I also like to collect different kinds of belts".

There is a good chance that with all the nuts you come across you will have occasion to put your belts to good use. How was your experience with G.V. Films and working in their film "Urchagam"?
"I always admired the banner G.V.Films limited and wanted to work with them. G.V.Films has got a whole new setup that is doing a great job. I consider "Urchagam" as my second innings in the Tamil film industry and they have launched me as a big star. I wish all the success to 'Urchagam', G.V.Films and ME"!

Tell us something about your latest film Urchagam.
It is a very powerful story told with great sensitivity. Unlike many films which are cluttered with characters, this film portrays the relationship between three people. That calls for a lot of intensity. If the screen has half a dozen people at all times, even bad acting can be covered up, but not here.

How was it working with Nanda?
He is so sweet.

I bet he hates being called sweet and would prefer words like talented, strong, tough etc.
That may be what they want but we women prefer milder words. At the end of the day who needs tough, macho etc? Give me tender, mature, understanding and words like that. He has done a fabulous job. He is a good dancer and a good actor.

Do men go to movies like that?
You bet they do. After all the biggest hits are love stories. There is a lot of truth in what she says. Only love stories whether they end tragically or not work around the world. From Casablanca to Gone with the wind to Umrao Jaan or Alaiypayuthe it has been love, love and more love.

You shake a mean leg. Were you a trained dancer?
If you mean did I do dancing to the exclusion of everything else, then the answer is NO. But without having a flair for it and putting in long hours of practice you cannot make the grade. I do my share of practice. It keeps you fit and healthy too.

Do you have any long term goals?
"At some stage of my career I want to get into film direction and production".

At her age people are not able to even direct traffic, let alone a film but maybe she can pull it off. You have found a way of making big money, which is to act in films. Now you seem hell bent on finding a way to loose big money by trying your hand at Film production.
My advice if you still want to make a movie is to make it with O.P.M. (Other People's Money).
I was with Shirrin for close to an hour and she happens to be a friendly, affectionate, and reasonably simple girl without any starry tantrums. Despite having being absent from the scene for a while I was surprised at the amount of attention she got from passer by's and photographers at the newspaper office where we terminated our interview.

All credit/praise must go to Shirrin's mother for inculcating the right values to her daughter. We wish more star parents would keep charges under control and not allow them to shoot their mouths off at every opportunity.

Destiny had once made her Queen Nefertiti. Maybe there are more good things in store for Shirrin