‘OG’ Is Like An Indian Tarantino Film: Sriya Reddy

Sriya Reddy has always wanted to push herself. She recalls, as a young actor, pushing herself to pick roles that were radically different from her personality — by playing dainty village belles who still had an edge, such as Annam in Priyadarshan’s Kanchivaram (2008) and Vasanthabalan’s Veyil (2006). This was the same drive that also led her to take a brief step back from cinema in the 2010s when she chose to sit out and prepare for her future, rather than be in films that didn’t excite her. “A lot of offers came, and I was tempted, but somewhere my heart didn't allow me to do it.  You have to go with your gut,” Reddy tells The Hollywood Reporter India.

The patience paid off, and splendidly so. The actor today, coming fresh from the success of Amazon Prime Video series Suzhal (2022) and Prashanth Neel’s Salaar (2023), will next be seen in Pawan Kalyan’s Telugu action film They Call Him OG. But her work has just begun. In this new phase of her career, Reddy wants to pick up a sword and fight on screen, carve a niche for the kind of films Nicole Kidman has managed to do in Hollywood, and pick films that have nuanced roles for women. 

Sriya Reddy in 'OG'

Excerpts from an interview:

What excited you about your role in ‘OG’?

There were concerns that I was playing an older person, but it didn't matter because the main essence lies in how you play a strong woman of today. Women are superheroes in today's time and age, where they often have no choice but to do this to survive. Geetha is one of them. There is a fine line between her being emotionally driven and following family norms, and being strong when a man is not there to take charge. 

There is a very Quentin Tarantino kind of style to the film. Just imagine bringing Tarantino here and asking him to do a film with Indian stars. It is like that. OG is cool-looking action with an urban kind of shotmaking. It is not in the tone of a regular Tamil or Telugu film. 

This is your first film with Pawan Kalyan. How was it working with him?

His aura is very infectious. Only secure men allow women to come and take centre-stage. He is the torchbearer of letting women take centre stage. He is such an educated and spiritual person that he understands those dynamics.

Sriya Reddy and Pawan Kalyan

Can you tell me about the roles you pick and the thought that goes behind them? You've spoken about the need for women to be written sensibly in cinema. 

I always believe in being realistic in however commercial a film might be. When Regina's son passed away in Suzhal (2022), it felt like a personal loss. When in Salaar (2024), Radha Rama says she was going to take all of them down, you think I didn't mean it from within? I felt invincible, and Prashanth Neel gave me the space to feel invincible during the shoot. When you watch the scenes with Arjun Das and Prakash Raj in OG, you will feel the realness.

Do you think roles are better for women today?

It is a struggle. Has it become better? Yes. But is there room for improvement? Of course. The mindset of filmmakers needs to change. Cinema is an impressionable medium, so filmmakers should write compelling stories where women are empowered in some way. I am not a young, budding actor. I have crossed that stage. But where is the space for me? The way Tabu has found her space in Hindi cinema... why isn't there space like that in the south? You're coined as old or young, and there is nothing in between. 

Sriya Reddy

Nicole Kidman, for example, has an innocent, soft face. But with every character, she brings out a lot of strength. At 58, she still commands compelling roles. Most of the roles I was getting before OG required me to cry, be powerful and so on. I was sick and tired of the roles. I'm okay with sitting at home rather than doing something that doesn't excite me.

I want to do a Kill Bill. I want to pick up a sword and fight, I'm training in martial arts and I'm physically fit. I am fitter than most heroes (laughs). Why can't women carry their strength on screen? 

You’re rewriting notions of fashion and fitness on Instagram as a mid-career woman in cinema. Is that a conscious effort?

I am fortunate that the money that I make is not for the food that I put on the table. I can pick and choose films. I can say no to everything as well. I am very clear as to what I want to be seen as and where I want to be. Fashion isn't aesthetic anymore, but an extension of your personality. It is a voice. And I feel similarly about training. I'm a trained athlete, and I train every day as if I am going to the Olympics tomorrow. My therapy is lifting weights. At this stage of my life, I am learning Kalaripayattu. If I am not able to use these aspects that are empowering me in my films, I feel a disconnect.