Meera Nandan - ROLL CALL

DAMSEL IN

DELIGHT!

...that's what actress Meera Nandan is today as Chennai Times finds out

       She might not have emerged an award winner after  Valmiki,  but her convincing performance in the film did not go unnoticed. Certainly a cause for cheer for the bubbly Meera Nandan. who has several reasons to be happy, including her next project,  Ayyanar, the audio of which released yesterday.

        Just back from the UK, where she had been for stage shows, the actress begins, "My role in Ayyanar, which has been directed by Rajamitran, is very different from the one I played in Valmiki. I play Anita, a college student who is into volleyball and Aadhi plays the coach. Anita meets the coach by accident in the film. Initially, she has a very badimpression of him and suspects his intentions. However, she ends up being the only person with whom he shares all his problems!"

       Playing a sportsperson can never be easy. Especially, If you are not one in real life. Testifies Meera with a smile, "The real Meera is very different from Anita.I'm not a sportsperson in real life. In fact, I don't even know to catch a ball hurled at me. But that was one reason why I was so particular about playing this character. i wanted to take it up as a challenge. In fact, I was trained by a state level volleyball player in Chennai for a few days."

       And it wasn't just the role that was challenging. A song in the film too was tough, she adds. "This particular song was shot in Ooty. I had to run for quite a while. On the third day of the shoot, I was exhausted because I had to run under the sun. In fact, I was so tired that I began wishing that this song would end."

       She is all praise for her co-star in the film, Aadhi, who, she says is a good friend."Aadhi is very comfortable to work with. He ensures that his fellow artistes are in a cheerful mood."

      Speaking about pleasant experiences, ask her about her recent UK tour and she says, "A big group of Malayali artistes and technicians had gone to the UK for stage shows and I was a member of that group. I enjoyed the tripo thoroughly. I get attached to people very fast and there were some people with me on this trip that I've become thickfriends with. In fact, I'm already missing being with them and am watching the pictures and videos we shot."

       Finally, ask her what else is on the cards for her and she says, "I'm doing two other films. Surya Nagaram  in Tamil with Rahul and Or Idathoru Post man in  Malayalam with Kunjcko Boban."