Cinema was always my dream: Priya Varrier

Before she could even process what was happening, Priya Varrier had become an overnight sensation. The wink girl had turned into a national crush! She became the most searched celebrity on google. Her Instagram followers touched over 70 lakhs. “Not every journey is easy,” says Varrier about her sudden fame. Luck can make you a star, but you need more than just mere luck to sustain in the world of glitz and glamour. You need hard work and dedication. Priya Varrier who is back after a break in Malayalam in Ranjith Sankar’s Four Years talks about her journey to Manorama.

How did you bag 'Four Years'?

'Four Years' was quite unexpected. One fine day I got a call from Ranjith Sankar. He said he had a character in mind for me and wondered if was interested. I gave my audition within a day. He later told me that they had tried various stars and newcomers for the role. Since this was such an unexpected offer, I was overjoyed.

Is 'Four Years' a love story? Or there is more to it than romance?

'Four years' isn’t a typical love story. The film explores the highs and lows of a relationship with a lot of transparency. Sarjano Khalid plays the male lead. And since this is a Malayalam film, there are no language constraints as well.

You have been part of other language films. Are there more fans for Priya Varrier outside Kerala?

Of course, I have a lot of supportive fans outside Kerala. But then I have supportive fans in Kerala as well. It’s not like I deliberately decided to choose only other language films. After my first Malayalam film, I got more offers from other languages. I did films in Hindi, Telugu and Kannada. Currently, I am doing a Hindi film. Two Telugu films got released. The Kannada film will be released next year. I am hoping that 'Sridevi Bungalow 'will be released very soon. It isn’t a biopic of the late Sridevi though.

How has life changed after becoming an actor and model?

Not everyone will be lucky to make their passion into their profession. But I have been lucky in that regard. And I am very happy about that. I was only 18 when I did 'Oru Adaar Love story;. Since then this profession has given me financial security. Am also enjoying the freedom that comes with it. That doesn’t mean I am overspending or squandering money. But the freedom financial independence gives us is something else.

But along with these photo shoots, you have also been at the receiving end of cyberbullying. How are you dealing with this?

I think it’s high time we normalise the word, ‘Bold.’ That is a choice. As long as my family and friends aren’t bothered, I don’t see why people should get so bothered about what I wear. I have encountered a lot of cyberbullying. Especially surrounding my photo shoots. Initially, it used to affect me a lot and I used to wonder how to deal with it all. But now such discussions or barbs don’t bother me. I do take note of criticisms. Take what matters and move on.

You became a National crush at the age of 18. Then modelling. Singing. And you have dabbled in various fields. How do you rate yourself as an actor?

I got a lot of hype for my first film and song. That was a character I got due to my sheer luck. I was lucky that the song got noticed. Things started getting difficult after that. It wasn’t easy to survive here. Neither then nor now. I think I have miles to go as an actor. Modelling also happened in the middle of all this. I also became a singer and was training from childhood. I am actually confident about my singing skills.

Was cinema always your dream?

To play great characters on screen will always be what I am looking forward to. It was always my childhood dream to be part of good films and do good characters. I haven’t thought of anything else since childhood. Cinema was always my dream since childhood. I am still dreaming about cinema. And this is something I want to tell anyone who yearns to be part of cinema, keep dreaming and work towards fulfilling your dreams. That will eventually happen.