Chennai, May 18 (IANS): Actress Sriya Reddy is overwhelmed by the response the political web series ‘Thalamai Seyalagam’ is receiving, especially for her role in the show as the right hand of the Chief Minister.

In an exclusive interview with IANS, the ‘Salaar’ actress said she always believes in roles where she can put her heart and soul, especially the complex characters.

Excerpts from the interview:

IANS: You delivered another strong performance in 'Thalamai Seyalagam'. What have you to say about it?

Sriya: I am so overwhelmed by the response which the 'Thalamai Seyalagam' has received. Whenever any project is under the able hands of Vasanthabalan sir it is bound to receive a good response. There are very few directors where you just don’t have to do much. You have to come, stand and let your eyes do the talking. This is how it was with Vasanthabalan sir.

IANS: How is the public response to your character in 'Thalamai Seyalagam'?

Sriya: The audience response has been a mixed one. In terms of my performance, they say where have you been and why don’t you do more projects. The kind of reviews that are coming in are phenomenal. I am so grateful and overwhelmed. A lot of people have told me that I resemble Smita Patil which is the biggest compliment because she has been somebody I have always looked upto and I am so happy at the positive reviews.

IANS: You have often portrayed strong characters on screen, how do you select your roles?

Sriya: I always believe in a role where I can put my heart and soul and where the story talks to me. I have always believed that it has to be complex and must have a lot of layers because a very linear character gets a little boring. So the more complex and more layered it is the more excited I get.

IANS: How do you prepare for your roles?

Sriya: The way I prepare for my roles is quite extensive. For Saalar, I used to wake up at 3 in the morning, learning my dialogue and workouts were very very important to get ready for the particular role. I also watched Heath Ledger's 'Joker' over and over again. I took a lot of points from his performance. Even for this web series, there is a certain amount of work that went into it. I read the script ten to fifteen times, the entire script. I prepared for my dialogues almost six months ahead of the shooting. I was fully prepared. The dialogues were just mere words that were naturally coming to me. I was fully confident and prepared for the shoot.

IANS: When is Salaar 2 expected?

Sriya: I really don’t know. The only man who can answer that question is Prashanth Neel. But whenever it comes, it will be a big bang with real drama and story.

IANS: Which is your next project? Any update on OG?

Sriya: OG will be my next release in Telugu. I am excited about this project. I think it is a mix of everything which I want in a character. Also, I have worked with such amazing people for this project. The remaining part of the movie will be shot in the next few months. I think that the movie will be released in the next five to six months or earlier than that.