Thulasi never grew up aspiring to be an actress like her mother or sister. She’d laugh at people who thought she was destined to be an actress. “I wasn’t keen in acting from a very young age, unlike my sister”, she says. But all that changed very soon as she found herself sucked into the world of glitz and glamour. “By the age of 13, I started developing keen interest in acting. I would watch films and then stand in front of the mirror and act certain scenes. I guess that made me fall in love with acting,” she declares. But Thulasi’s decision to get into films came as a shocker to her family who never thought she was cut out to be an actress. “I think they were a little worried because they never thought there was an actor in me”. When she was eventually roped in by filmmaker Mani Ratnam in Kadal, opposite another newcomer Gautham Karthik, neither Radha nor Karthika worried any longer because they knew she was in safe hands.
While Kadal may have turned out to be a dud, Thulasi says the failure didn’t affect her because “one advice my mother gave me is to never take failure to heart and success to head”. She proudly admits that had it not been for the film, she wouldn’t have had the rare privilege of being launched by Mani Ratnam, whom she considers her mentor and guide. In fact, it was through the legendary filmmaker that Thulasi landed an opportunity to work in Ravi K. Chandran-directed Yaan. When Chandran was looking for a heroine to be cast opposite Jiiva in his directorial debut, it was Ratnam who vouched for Thulasi to the former.
In Kadal, Thulasi played a rural Christian character called Beatrice, contrary to the ultra glamorous role in Yaan. Ask her about the experience of upping the glamour quotient, and she says, “It wasn’t new to me because I played a Bombay girl in the film. I’ve been raised in Bombay, so it wasn’t a challenge to slip into the shoes of my character”. The role, she says, helped her to get in touch with her fashion side. According to Thulasi, glamour isn’t about wearing trendy clothes. “I guess it depends on the character and situation. Yaan, for instance, happens in Bombay, so it makes sense for my character to walk around in gowns and trendy outfits. It doesn’t make sense to not have glamour when the whole atmosphere around a character requires it. In that case, glamour becomes a part of an actor”.
About the experience she gained from working in the two films, Thulasi says, “Kadal was like a blink of the eye. It was so much fun working because we (Gautham and I) were learning. It never seemed like a film shoot because I felt like I was on a vacation with family. I was pampered a lot by Mani sir on the sets. On Yaan, we spent two years. It made me very professional and independent. It gave me an opportunity to professionally grow as an actor and trust myself”.
With a hit and a flop to her credit, Thulasi’s biggest learning has been to be wise and choose good scripts. “Mom keeps saying I’m just 17 and I have a long way ahead. But I want to take up roles that challenge and make me grow as an actor. I know I have a long road ahead but it’s good to be prepared,” she says. But Thulasi isn’t ready yet to choose her own scripts. She still needs guidance from her mother. “I still feel I need advice on choosing scripts because I don’t think I’m mature enough to take such big decisions. My mom and I hear scripts together and then we discuss about it. She hears me out and vice versa”.
When it comes to films, Thulasi looks up to her mother and aunt, popular yesteryear actress Ambika for advice, but in life, her father is her pillar of strength. “My dad is an important part of my life. When my sister decided to act, we were so scared to ask him whether he was ready to give away his 16-year old daughter to the film industry. But he was more excited about it and encouraged my sister to do it,” she says, and adds, “He comes to my film shoots as much as possible. He’s what motivates us to be actors”. Thulasi along with her sister, Karthika, plan to support their father’s business in the distant future. “My dad has these wonderful businesses. We plan to support him and take the business forward to the next generation”, she shares.
With her sister, Thulasi shares a strong relationship. “We share a wonderful bond since childhood. I respect her as my big sister and I also love her like my best friend”. Karthika too made her cinematic debut at a very young age with K.V Anand-directed Tamil film Ko, and since then she’s successfully worked in multiple southern languages. Thulasi likes the commitment and sincerity with which her sister approaches work and those are the same qualities she has imbibed from her. “She’s extremely sincere towards work. When she’s on sets, she displays 110 percent commitment. Her mind is always on work and she never gets distracted”. The sisters also discuss about their films and have a good laugh about anything silly they find in them.
Coming from a family of actors can add a lot of pressure on an actor and Thulasi is no exception. “When Kadal released, there was so much of hype and expectations. I was being compared with my mother and sister and I feel that’s unfair because I’m just a newcomer. I can’t be even compared to my sister because she’s already done a few films. I think it’s an advantage to come from a family of actors as there’s always so much to learn, but some people have made it all look like it’s a disadvantage,” she says. As a family, Thulasi says they seldom talk about cinema. The usual dinner table conversation is about her childhood. “We mostly talk about our childhood because as kids I was like an angel and my sister was very naughty. I always make my parents to tell stories about how good I was as a kid. Most of our family conversations are about childhood, funny incidents and very occasionally about cinema”.
With Yaan, Thulasi has honestly committed herself to the industry. She says she will still find time to concentrate on studies as well. “After Kadal, it’s become easier and organized. I know how much time I need to allot for my studies. But now my first priority is cinema”. A trip abroad for higher studies is also on Thulasi’s mind. “My sister and I have always dreamt of going abroad, studying and gaining experience. I haven’t decided yet what I want to study but it will have to be something related to the course I’m currently doing”.
Thulasi isn’t in a hurry to sign films. She’s waiting for the right script to come and sweep her off her feet.
