I sign projects that my daughter will be proud of: Actor Shriya Saran

CHENNAI: It's Monday night and we tune into Discovery Channel and there is Shriya Saran with Ranveer Brar putting her culinary skills to test as she is seen handpicking ingredients from dangerous terrains and making dishes from scratch. We dial her up to ask what this new experiment is all about and she replies, "I love travelling and adventure. I do one trek a month and I do small treks with my daughter, Radha to let her know the fun of being in nature and in the wild. It is fun especially when you do it with children and she doesn't like wearing shoes or chappals. In fact, she had gone and told her teachers about our latest trek and they thought she was making up stories about seeing a snake in the lake when we were swimming. Likewise, this show too has been a lot of fun. I wanted to be a part of the show also because it's about being in the wild and in nature. I have seen Ranveer's cooking videos and I like them," says Shriya.

It was evident as she tells us about one of the experiences she had while shooting for the episode. "I thought Ranveer was pulling my legs when he told me that there is a leaf that would give me an itch upon touching it and it would be fun. Trust me it was not fun at all. But yes, he made an amazing shakshuka and then we had sathu powder, a great source of protein," adds the actor.

Apart from her flamboyant performances, it is her fitness that the audience took notice of. "But I have always been a foodie. I don't refrain myself from foods but I eat them on time. I finish my dinner at 7.30 pm. My daughter and I love being exhausted making idli and dosas. In fact, my family has started wondering about what to do about this regime of ours. My mom keeps asking us how many dosas. Also, Radha, who is all of three, knows the batter well-- which is new and which one is old. She loves vegetables in her dosas. Quite a dosa pro she is," laughs Shriya.

Apart from making dosas, another thing that doesn't exhaust Shriya is experimenting. "Whatever good work I am doing today is because of the good work I have done in the past. It's a culmination of how the directors I worked with showed me in a certain way. Your directors see something in you that you don't see. Before a shoot, I always ask them, can I incorporate some of my own improv in the character, even if it is the simplest of things. That uncertainty of not knowing how it is going to be on screen, has always helped me push harder," she remarks.

In the last few years, Shriya has gone all out in choosing her scripts and has won lots of praises from critics and the audience alike. Be it Gamanam, RRR, Drishyam 2 or her character of Maria in Music School, there are several takeaways. "Gamanam was a difficult film for all of us. It was a tough yet interesting film. Having said that, I have made wrong choices too sometimes. Of late, I have been choosing films that my daughter will watch and be proud of me some day," she states

Shriya is also back in Tamil after a long time with Suriya 44. She immediately gets excited. "The song will be out soon. I remember shooting in the Ooty cold. My hands were frozen and I was like Chennai doesn't have garlands? It was beautifully choreographed and will be classy," she concludes.