Sanjana Krishnamoorthy assists veteran director Mani Ratnam in ‘Thug Life’
Sanjana Krishnamoorthy assists veteran director Mani Ratnam in ‘Thug Life’
Actress Sanjana Krishnamoorthy, the heroine of Lubber Pandhu, a film that has won both critical and commercial success, is off to a flying start with her very first film.
After making her debut in the OTT show Vadhandhi, Sanjana’s transition to the big screen has been imcredible. The film’s box office performance and positive reviews suggest her rise may only be the beginning.
Sanjana’s acting journey began as a happy incident. She was a visual communication student in pursuit of making it to the glamour world. Sanjana recalls that she worked at a YouTube page called Awesome Machi, where she started as a graphic designer. But soon, they urged her to act in some of their videos. She had no formal training at that point, but enjoyed the experience. Though never expected it to lead anywhere, but it did.
Her break came when filmmaker-duo Pushkar and Gayatri’s production company, Wallwatcher Films, noticed her YouTube work and invited her to audition for the Amazon Prime Video web series Vadhandhi. That time around, she was still in her third year of college when she received the call. she says that she was determined to work with them, even if it meant just being an assistant director. Luckily, the audition went well, and she bagged the role.
In the thick of things, for Sanjana, the path films didn’t start from a sudden “aha” moment. “It wasn’t like she had an epiphany,”
She grew up in the early 2000s with plenty of access to computers and television and was kind of aware of the behind-the-scenes work that goes into making a movie.
Yet, the journey wasn’t without its challenges. Stepping into the world of cinema required resilience and adaptability and she
knew it wouldn’t be easy,” Sanjana reflects, but, then, you really can’t understand the industry until you’re in it. No matter how much people warn you, you’re never fully prepared for the long hours, the intensity, or the amount of work involved. It’s only through facing these challenges that you develop the strength needed to continue.”
One of the biggest surprises, Sanjana reveals, was the support she found in the industry. She’s been fortunate to meet really supportive people. For instance, Pushkar sir and Gayatri ma’am have always been there to offer guidance. That kind of encouragement makes a huge difference.”
Coming to her challenges and rewards
and her experience on the set of Vadhandhi was a turning point in her approach to acting. “Before that project, she didn’t have much formal training,” she says. She took part in a month-long workshop that changed how she saw acting. The workshop taught her to prepare thoroughly and to think more deeply about character development.
‘Vadhandhi: The Fable of Velonie’ series really engrossing, but marred by problematic takes.
Sanjana further says that in Vadhandhi, the acting was more formal, however when she worked on Lubber Pandhu, it was completely different. The director, Thamizharasan Pachamuthu, wanted a more natural and spontaneous acting style and she had to unlearn certain habits and be less rigid in approaching her lines and reactions.
For Sanjana, one of the most rewarding aspects of the project was the detailed preparation that went into portraying the characters. She worked with a friend familiar with the local dialect to ensure her delivery was accurate. The nuances of body language were another challenge.
The dedication paid off. Lubber Pandhu garnered critical acclaim, and the praise from industry veterans like Vetrimaran, Pa Ranjith, and Vijay Sethupathy has been gratifying for her.
The success of the film is fetching new acting offers. But Sanjana’s filmmaking dream is still very much alive.
On her experience in her chosen field, she assisted Mani Ratnam in his upcoming film, Thug Life, featuring Kamal Haasan. “Working on a set with Mani Ratnam sir and Kamal Haasan sir was incredible,” she says of the experience. “I was fortunate to witness their collaboration firsthand and learn from their expertise. Their approach to planning, improvising, and eliciting performances was truly inspiring. I’ve always felt like there was a missing piece in my cinema journey so far. Working in Thug Life helped me fill that gap.”
With Vadhandhi, Lubber Pandhu, and Thug Life, Sanjana appears to have scored a hat-trick. She has been getting a lot of offers, but she is in no mood to rush into anything and wants to make sure that the story is something she wants to watch in a theatre and that her character is well-written.
News Edit KV Raman
