I don't believe in the word comeback, but I'm thrilled to come back to where I belong: Shanthi Priya

Time of India

4 days ago

Speaking about acting in a Tamil movie after three decades, Shanthi Priya says, 'Everyone is saying Bad Girl is my comeback movie, but I don't believe in the word comeback. I'm looking forward to the film, as it's been more than 30 years since I did a Tamil film."
'I want to let my work speak for itself. I've always been, and I want to continue being sincere, punctual, and disciplined, as that's all the film industry asks from us,' says actress Shanthi Priya.
The actress, known to Tamil audiences as Nishanthi, is making her return to K-Town after 33 years with Varsha Bharath's Bad Girl, which won an award at at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) 2025. In a chat with us, the actress talks about her return, acting without makeup for the first time, social media, and more…
'CHARACTERS ARE WRITTEN BEAUTIFULLY THESE DAYS, AND I DON'T WANT TO MISS ANY
Speaking about acting in a Tamil movie after three decades, Shanthi Priya says, 'Everyone is saying Bad Girl is my comeback movie, but I don't believe in the word comeback.
I'm looking forward to the film, as it's been more than 30 years since I did a Tamil film. I'm thrilled to come back to where I belong. I've taken a long break. Characters are written beautifully these days, and I don't want to miss any. I know I can pull off diverse characters.
'
'I'M PROUD OF MY DECISION TO ACT WITHOUT MAKEUP'
'When a casting agency connected me with director Varsha Bharath, she asked for a picture of me, but without makeup. I sent her a picture, and since she had got what she was looking for, Varsha narrated the story and asked whether I would act without makeup.
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I declined, but she told me to trust her, which I did,' says the actress about how she got the role in the film. She adds, 'Until Bad Girl , I'd never done a film without makeup.
I'm proud and confident in the decision I've made. That's the confidence that Varsha has given me, and I'm thankful to her for it.'
'I DON'T WANT TO DO FILMS WHERE CHARACTER COMES AND GOES'
Speaking about how she selects her roles, Shanthi says, 'For me, my screen time matters depending on the content of the story.
I don't mind doing a project where my role leaves an impact even when I am on screen for only 30 minutes. But I don't want to do films where my character just comes and goes.'
'AS AN ARTISTE, I KNOW WHAT MY REQUIREMENTS ARE'
Amidst debates about the industry not meeting an artiste's needs, Shanthi takes a different approach. She says, 'I'm totally a director's and a producer's artiste. I value them and their money. I don't ask for too much just because I can make those demands.
As an artiste, I know what I need and what my requirements are, and I only ask for what is needed for an artiste.'
'I WOULD LOVE TO LIVE OUT OF A SUITCASE'
Sharing with us about her rekindled enthusiasm, 'Earlier, there was no preparation, and actors only knew the film's story and their character. We used to get our scene paper on the spot, rehearse two or three times and then go for the take. Now, there is a lot of preparation. Earlier, we used to pack our bags and go from one set to another.
Right now, I feel I have already taken a long vacation (her break from the big screen), and I would love to live out of a suitcase again.
' 'I feel that Shanthi has not done justice to Shanthi Priya' 'My real name, which my parents gave me, is Shanthi. When I got into this industry, I became Shanthi Priya. As Shanthi, I've fulfilled whatever my parents' wishes were. I've also done what I should do as a mother, daughter-in-law, and wife. But, somewhere, I feel that Shanthi has not done justice to Shanthi Priya. So, I'd love to do justice to the actress in me. That is one of the reasons I came back to the industry,' she says about the reason why she made her comeback.