‘I Am Still Called A Witch’: Shruti Haasan Gets Candid On ‘Salaar’ & Carving Her Space With Prabhas

"I still get called a churail (witch) and that's the greatest compliment, it is the vibe I'm going for. I would much rather be called the misunderstood witch and celebrated for that than the conformist woman that makes you comfortable", says actor-singer Shruti Haasan.

Dressed in her signature black, even though recovering from a nasty bout of viral fever, she is happy with the way things are looking up on the work front.

The much-awaited 'Salaar', starring Prabhas, is finally confirmed for a December 22 release. Its imminent clash with Shahrukh Khan's "Dunki" is of no concern to her. "I care about my film. We have been making it for a long time", she says with a wave of her hand.

Shruti who has often been vocal about female actors being foreshadowed by male leads when it comes to movies and their promotions, reacts strongly when asked does she feels sidelined as 'Salaar' is synonymous with Prabhas.

"I want to say Prashanth Neel and Prabhas have created their legacies, their storytelling and that must be honoured. 'Salaar' is for Prabhas. The story is about that. There is Prithviraj and others. But it's also my film, and there is no problem with that. I have never met a more generous crew, including Prabhas, who just let me be myself and enjoy the process of filming."

Switching gears from the high-octane action and larger-than-life sets of 'Salaar', the actor's Hollywood project, the psychological thriller "The Eye", has garnered nods at the Greek International Film Festival as well as the London Independent Film Festival.

"Salaar is a huge action-filled set, there were portions that had action and violence, things flying all around and blowing up. 'The Eye' was an indie film set, where there was so much violence from the female perspective of emotional pain, it felt like the same film", she says with a hearty laugh.

An actor who has not shied away from talking about her mental health issues, her struggle with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and Endometriosis, has been vocal when it comes to the representation of women in cinema, as well as gender equality. Calling out the pay disparity for male and female actors, as depressing. She had also voiced her grievance when she was asked to take a cut in remuneration but not her co-star.

"Yes, you will not get the budget of 'Salaar' for a female-led film currently. Hopefully, we will, in the future. There is no system of allocating budgets, there are too many variables involved. I prefer using people-led stories rather than assigning them as gender specific. Also, it does not need a separate approach or an economic model. But also, the problem is even female films get cast in this kind of "Desi Kahani", the fight over, there's not even shades of grey in the women we are playing right now. There are so many women in between who don't get a voice. A bold woman will always be perceived as sexually liberated, downing shots, there seems to be no in-between. We do need changes from the financial side, the storytelling and everything, and this is as a viewer, not an actress, and it needs to start from the top".

But if there is an aspect of her life where she truly feels creatively in charge, that's her music. She recently released her single 'Monster Machine', her passion project. Produced by her company which she co-owns with her partner Shantanu Hazarika, she says the song helped her articulate the many aspects of her personality. However, she finds it hard to pinpoint one musical influence in her life, "There are so many, not many people know my father Kamal Hasan is an awesome singer. We had Asha Bhosleji and SP Balasubramanium Sir, in and out of our home. I grew up listening to RD Burman as well as Ilayaraja Sir, who gave me my first break. Chris Cornell is also a strong influence".

Though she laughs that the hashtag that best describes her is "GothPapa", squealing with laughter saying " That is the best name anyone has bestowed upon me.

Does she turn to ger father for career advice? "No, I don't ask, yes, his advice is amazing. But he speaks from a vantage point. Sometimes the experience is useful to me, but sometimes a vantage point I'm not able to apply because I am at a completely different level of the industry and in a completely different space. So, I cannot apply his wisdom sometimes, practically. So, I don't".

Though she confesses to taking her father and mother Sarika's feedback but admits she takes what resonates with her most. "As everybody will understand, you sift through what your parents say and then take out the gems and keep it in your pocket. So that's what I do".

With the next three months being packed with music and movie promotions, she signs off by saying the best way to describe herself would be "growing".