Keerthy Suresh opens up about her evolving relationship with stardom, her love for experimenting with diverse roles, and the challenges of obsessive fans. She emphasises the importance of engaging with audiences while maintaining boundaries, sharing a recent unsettling encounter during a flight from Milan.
Keerthy Suresh is not interested in being easy to categorise. Her instinct is to follow the work that feels new and the work that captivates her, whether that means a series, a format she says she hadn’t done before, or a comedy taken up right after a heavy shoot because it "helped drain all that heavy energy." If that counts as taking risks, she loves it.
The same self-assurance shapes how she handles the noise around her. She has never responded to trolls and prefers to let her work speak for itself. She believes it is her "duty to engage” with the audience she credits for her success. But this also comes with navigating uncomfortable situations. She recalls one such incident on a flight home from Milan, when a request for a selfie from a drunken passenger escalated to a point where her husband and the flight crew had to intervene. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, the actress speaks about Akka, her relationship with fans, and navigating the curveballs that come with stardom.
How did Akka come to you, and what drew you to it?
Ideally, this was supposed to be my Hindi debut, in fact. When it came to me, I thought, "Sounds great." It’s a series, a format I haven't done before, and the script sounded so strong. I wanted to give it a try; I just jumped straight into this. I thought it’d be a great project to start with. In fact, I actually signed Akka first, before Baby John came my way.
Does audience perception and changing taste dictate what you choose next as an actor?
I'm not sure. There is a side to that, of course, but some films I do purely for my own satisfaction. I want to experiment and try something different.
Over the last two or three years, I did a couple of comedy films, and I love doing that space. Right after I finished shooting Akka, I went and did a comedy. It was like a breeze—it helped drain all that heavy energy and allowed me to just be more like myself. I love playing different kinds of characters, and if you call that taking risks, I love taking risks because I love experimenting. I don't want to be boxed into a bracket where I do only one kind of role; I want to tap into everything. In that process, I discover myself as an actor.
Has your relationship with stardom evolved over the years? Is there something you used to overthink earlier that you’ve completely stopped worrying about now?
Yes. At one point, especially before Mahanati, I used to be told a lot of things. But I've never responded to trolls. Never. I've always maintained that I'll let my work speak for me. I'm not the kind of person who will sit on social media and try to correct someone who says something about me.
People are entitled to their opinions—some might like me, some might not, and I don't mind. It differs from person to person. All I can do is believe in myself and do my job sincerely. That's what I've always believed in, and that's what I continue to do.
How do you handle obsessive fans?
It's a mix. When I'm traveling on a flight, I actually like meeting new people. Where else do you get a chance to meet people outside of your work bubble? I enjoy talking to the general public.
Sometimes you meet people who are sweet. They'll sit through an hour-and-a-half flight, have a great conversation, and won't even ask for a picture in the end.
On the flip side, you experience creepy encounters. Recently, I was flying back to India from Milan. I was sitting on one side, and my husband was on the other. This drunk, creepy guy walked up, couldn't even stand properly, saw me sitting, and just demanded a selfie. I told him, "Hello, not now, maybe later." He didn't listen and went, "No, no, it's okay." I had to tell him, "Hello, you cannot say it's okay."
That was actually the first time I ever heard my husband raise his voice. He’s usually very sweet to fans and people who admire our work, but he stepped in and told him, "You cannot do this," and we had to get the flight crew to handle it.
Some people do invade your personal space. But not everyone is like that. On one hand, I feel it's our duty to engage because we are here because of the audience, but on the other, you do have to deal with creepy situations like these.