“A lot of people told me not to do Vaaranam Aayiram because it was a three heroine film but something in my heart told me it was special. And it was special because my intuition said it was special and I was right. ”
She recalls a memory from the sets of Vaaranam Aayiram with Surya, “When we were in San Francisco, Jyothika was pregnant and he was shopping for baby clothes. What was amazing was, that even though I wasn’t a mom then, I could see how happy he was. He was so excited. We went shopping and we shopped a lot!
Speaking very fondly about Gautham Vasudev Menon, she said “Gautham is a charmer! And that’s one thing I love about him. He can talk your socks off! Even during the making of the film, if I wasn’t convinced about something, he would somehow convince me, he has that charm. The whole film ran on his energy. But one thing no one knows is that I was the second choice, he told me that very honestly. And I didn’t mind it one bit, it was my opportunity now. Frankly, after doing the film, I felt like it was meant for me. That was destiny.”
Megha stole the hearts of so many, she was a character that was instantly loved by the audience. Her chemistry with Surya was electric and to date, they are one of the most loved on-screen couples of Tamil Cinema. She believes that Meghna is the role that’s closest to her heart, “ The reason that people believed in her is because I didn’t even have to act. Meghna was very close to who I am as a person. In the industry, I’ve played roles that were sexy, aggressive, and very made-up, I didn’t get to play the substance of a girl who was so close to me. Even when I see the movie, I feel like it’s me on screen. In every other movie outside Vaaranam Aayiram, I’ve played a character. In this, I played myself and that’s what made it so convincing.”
“The love that I got from the people of Chennai and Tamil Nadu is unprecedented, I’ve never got that from any other state. It’s a love that has transcended time also. Vaaranam was released 15 years ago and till today when it comes on, I always receive so much love. Chennai didn’t forget me and I love that.”
Sameera’s unfiltered conversations have been the audience’s favourite thing about her. She is a social media star, she talks to us about body positivity, home, being a woman, breaking beauty standards and so much more. Her content is fuelled with titbits of her personal life. Her Instagram profile is transparent, we see how she lives her life to the fullest with her family. “ I follow and love Ashley Graham, who is a plus-sized model. She changed the way I looked at fashion and how I perceived that clothes should fit me. I think we were all about skinny bodies and perfect bodies. But for me, a fashionista doesn’t have to be a side 2 or a 4. The way she dresses up and celebrates her body is beautiful. So she is my style icon.”
When we asked her if she would return to the movies, she said, “ I am listening to a few scripts and I feel like I should explore doing films and get out of the compostable folds of Goa.”
A quality of your kids you wish you had, “My kids are very communicative. And I wasn’t like that as a kid. I was very quiet and very worried about what people would think about me. I have given my children the freedom to just be. And that has come across very clearly now and I look at them in awe. They are doing something I could never do as a kid.”
“The best part about being a mom is how much I surprise myself every day. With the amount of education and perseverance, I have to surpass many situations. Today, I think way beyond me.
The hardest part of being a mom is putting your career on the burner for your kids. And I’ve done it without thinking because I love them so much. But I think about how much I miss acting. I don’t regret it but it’s pretty hard as a woman when you put aside everything for your family.”
“I ‘reached’ about 25 million people. I am not about the followers. What’s interesting is that I made such crazy content that went viral that these are the amount of people I reached. I’m more fascinated with the amount of people I connect with. I’m very impressed with the number of people I reached, I handle my account so it’s very personalised.”
