Deepavali is all about people coming together, spending time: Actor Bhavani Sre

CHENNAI: Nestled in an equanimous lane in T Nagar, we are first welcomed by the woofing of Happy, a Rajapalayam breed that is synonymous with its name and wags its tail around us. The huge door in front of us opens, and our Deepavali is already lit with Bhavani’s smile and her gold saree adorned with jewels. But for the actor, Deepavali means much more. “Get the flower pots and sparklers. They have excited me since I was a kid. It is all about celebration and friends coming together. We have a small get together at home, where people make it a point to visit from different cities and we spend quality time. Now that my niece Anvi is also here, she enjoys the sparklers. Not to forget the snacks and food, which is the main aspect of Deepavali,” she says as her eyes glitter and smile widens.

Having lived in the same neighbourhood for several years, Bhavani has a lot of fond memories of the festival. But there is one unforgettable Deepavali she looks back at. “I think I was in class 10. We were at our friend’s place, bursting crackers near the staircase. We burst a 1,000 wala and I was in a casual, patiala pants sitting down. There was one small piece yet to crack and it landed right on my foot. Everyone came to check if I was alright and people gathered around me. Reminds me of the Deepavali scene from Avvai Shanmugi film,” adds the actor.

Her brother, GV Prakash may look reserved on the outside, but he himself is a ticking bomb within and none of us never know when he would crack us up with his humour sense and pranks. “We went on a hiatus in bursting crackers. Since Anvi is here, we have resumed our celebration in the last couple of years. But GV plays it safe during Deepavali. He makes us burst crackers in turns. He hands us the lighting stick saying whose turn it is next,” Bhavani opens up.

Being a multicultural household, Bhavani says that she is fortunate enough to celebrate quite a few occasions across the year. “It has lots of advantages. For Deepavalis, sweets and savouries are packed from here and are taken there (To her uncle AR Rahman’s house) and for Ramadan, they send us biryanis,” she tells us.

Coming to the film front, Bhavani’s eye for good scripts like the Viduthalai franchise, Paava Kadhaigal, where her role of Sahira fetched critical acclaim and her Telugu web series High Priestess. Commenting on her work so far, she says, “Yes, I am quite choosy when it comes to picking scripts. I am not under any pressure to sign films that come my way. Also, having assisted director Vijay in Idhu Enna Maayam and Priyadarshan in Sila Samayangalil, I guess I picked up that trait by default. Also, I have watched a lot of films and a lot of interest towards filmmaking since my college days. All of these had an influence on me. I feel really happy when someone comes and tells me about Sahira because the role was small and I met Nazriya recently who told me how even if I had crossed a thin line, I would have become the villain of the story. When people note such nuances and tell me, I get happy.”

Having been a part of a huge talent pool like Viduthalai, Bhavani Sre still stood out for her role of Paapa. Reminiscing on the learning curve, “There is a lot I learnt from all of them. They all come with a lot of experience and each of them have a unique style. This will help me in the long run.” Of late, the actor has been landing quite a few good scripts. “I am currently doing Kaalidas 2 and signed a couple of other projects which will be revealed in the coming days,” she adds. We also ask about her singing ventures in the future as we are ready to leave. “I couldn’t pursue music. I only know the basics of it. GV made me sing in Putham Pudhu Kaalai because it was difficult to find a singer during lockdown. I am glad Sudha ma’am used the final cut in her episode,” she finishes as she now couldn’t wait to light flower pots and sparklers.