The National Award-winning actress claims to be essaying a significant role in the Hindi version of Mani Rathnam's Ravann. How was it rubbing shoulders with Abhi-Ash? “I had to shoot some portions only with Abhishek. It was nice working with such a jovial person. He is quite friendly and talks to even spot-boys on the sets.” Will this plum project be her Bollywood launchpad? “I don't know really. For me, since this was an offer from Mani Rathnam I just took it up. Any actor can give his/her right hand to work with Mani.” Her next Tollywood film Pravararkudu, says Priyamani “is specially designed for the Gen Next audience. The film tries to explore whether love is just a physical attraction or something beyond it,” she informs. She’s also one of the few Tamil actresses who is a household name in Tollywood, despite a few duds. Recently, she triggered a debate with her dare-bare act in Drona. “I received a mixed response for my bikini act. But I haven't taken a firm stand on whether I want to do more such scenes at a later date or not,” she affirms. Despite a bunch of offers, she hasn't any new Telugu film. Is it because she's known to have revised her fees? “I don't think so. My pay packet is reasonable. But I prefer doing films where I have a meaty role. The set-up of the film and the filmmaker also matter to me. For me those are vital issues that help me decide on a film. You never sign a film only for money” she reasons. Then what’s making her dabble in other language films? The reason, says the sultry beauty queen is simple. “For an actress, the choices are more if one is open to the idea of doing films in different languages. I could even do an Oriya film if the role excites me,” says the multi-lingual actress. Priyamani seems to be in the mood to experiment. After playing a role with negative shades (Mithrudu) she sounds equally excited about her upcoming Tamil film Ninaithale Innikkum. On the personal front, her family provides her rock solid support in all her endeavours. “I often chill out with my brother and parents in Bangalore,” she informs. A gadget freak, she gets tips from her brother on the latest mobiles and laptops. “I am truly looking forward to my South Africa trip where I'm shooting with Jagapathi Babu,” she quips. She thinks her seven-year-old film career has been fruitful even as she confesses that being a workaholic means she's so busy with work that she has no time for love.
