Comparison with Simran unfair, but I'm happy people liked my performance in 'Good Bad Ugly': Priya Varrier

Priya Varrier, the Mollywood actor who became an overnight sensation with her viral wink in 2018 has managed to create some noise again after her appearance in the Ajith-starrer 'Good Bad Ugly'. The actor plays Nithya, a pivotal character in the film's central theme, and is also part of the recreated song 'Thottu Thottu Pesum' from the movie 'Ethirum Pudhirum' . The actor told Onmanorama that she is enjoying the attention coming her way, but knows it is important to stay neutral since fame is temporary.

"In 2018, after my wink went viral, I tried to stay neutral, though it was not a conscious decision from my side then as I was new to what was happening around me. Today, I have learned that I need to stay neutral and not let things go to my head since I know the noise may only exist for one day," said Priya. 

She, however, said she is happy that she has been able to hog the limelight after a long time. The actor has appeared in a few Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu movies since 2018, but very few projects brought her the recognition she hoped for. Priya believes 'Good Bad Ugly' has given her the break she had wanted.

She is equally amazed yet humbled that people have been comparing her to Simran ever since 'Good Bad Ugly' hit theatres.

"I don't think the comparison is fair, but I am touched by their perception. I appeared in the recreated version of 'Thottu Thottu Pesum', which is still celebrated today. Simran ma'am had perfected the dance sequence and even though I am pretty sure I could not do justice to what she pulled off in the song, I was determined that no one should say bad about the recreated version. I put that pressure on myself and I am glad that people like it," she said. She is excited to know what Simran thought about her performance. "I was not able to meet Simran ma'am during the shoot. However, I hope to meet her someday soon and know what she thought about my performance," she said.

The actor who made her debut in Mollywood with Omar Lulu's 'Oru Adaar Love' said 'Good Bad Ugly' production house Mythri Movie Makers first reached out to her about the project. "They asked me if I could come to Chennai to listen to their brief. I was beyond excited to get an opportunity to act in an Ajith film. Also, my entire shoot took place in Spain. It was a complete package and there was no reason for me to say no to the movie. The film director Adhik Ravichandran was also very supportive," she said.

Priya admits she was never a die-hard fan of Ajith but became one during the shoot of 'Good Bad Ugly'. "I entered the movie with no preconceived notion. I have always been following Ajith sir's movies as a kid and loved his work, but I was never that fan girl. However, working with him for this movie has made me a loyal fan girl. Ajith sir is a gem of a person. He is very considerate about people who work with him and also very grounded. There are so many things that one can learn from him. No wonder he is who he is," she said. She also spoke about the ice-breaking session with co-star Arjun Das who played a dual role in the movie. "We met for the first time on the sets of the film. We had to shoot the dance sequence first and there was an ice-breaking session before that, which was really fun," she said.

Asked whether the director wanted her to recreate her viral wink from 'Oru Adaar Love' in 'Thottu Thottu Pesum', she explains: "I don't think Adhik wanted me to wink because we were trying to recreate that scene. He told me that they would be panning in on my face to reveal my face and I had to do something as a filler. This is why I decided to wink and do a flying kiss," she said. 

Priya played a pivotal role with Rajisha Vijayan in the Malayalam film 'Kolla', which released in 2023. She later appeared in 'Mandakini'. Right now, she is listening to a few projects in Tamil. "I would definitely love to work in Mollywood since Malayalam is my mother tongue and the industry delivers such great content," she concluded.