I am addicted to BlackBerry, iPad, Mac: Suhasini

BANGALORE, INDIA: Being a woman of substance, Suhasini Mani Ratnam hasn't let her celebrity status influence perfection in her work and that makes her a famed actor, gifted director and an admired writer. With her never-say-die spirit, she is dedicated to her NGO as much as she is to acting or writing, which, she says, keeps her grounded.

She made her film debut in 1980 with the Tamil film Nenjathai Killathe for which she won the Tamil Nadu State award. Since then she has been an acclaimed actor in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, winning a national and five Filmfare awards.

In an interview with Preeti S of CyberMedia, she minces no words in saying it isn't easy to be an actor as it demands a convincing performance under strict parameters

Excerpts...

CIOL: How tech savvy are you?
Suhasini: I am like anyone in 2012 who uses a laptop, tablet, iPod or smartphone. I run an NGO, a film festival and a reunion all in Google group, sometimes in Skype conference etc. I connect with 30 of my NGO coaches on the go and all our work is done through group email, replies and actions. Sometimes lives have been saved thanks to Google group.

CIOL:Which is your favourite gadget and why?
Suhasini: I used to be loyal to Palm V and Nokia communicator but it's not there anymore. For the past four years it has been BlackBerry. I do have a couple of tablets and my laptop is Mac and iPad. I am addicted to all gadgets and all are my favourites.

CIOL:You are a perfectionist and a woman of substance, what keeps you grounded?
Suhasini: My film and TV work, NGO work. I co-ordinate for international film festivals. I am also a writer. So, writing keeps me calm and grounded.

CIOL:You have been an actor, director and a jury member, which role you enjoy the most? Which is more challenging? How?
Suhasini: What's challenging in being on a jury? It's the years of experience that comes in handy while judging. Being an actor is tough as you have to think and be spontaneous and take directions plus look gorgeous. Direction is tough as your capability depends on sincerity of 200 others. Both are challenging.

CIOL: You are associated with NGOs for social causes, if you get an offer from a TV channel to host a programme on social cause would you agree to it?

Suhasini: I have done a programme called 'Ladies Junction' creating a platform for rural women to express themselves which ran Monday to Friday half an hour everyday for three years on Raj TV. So, social awareness on TV is not new for us.

CIOL: Who is your favourite director (other than Mr Mani Ratnam)? Why?
Suhasini: K Balachander. He is a genius in all departments, especially in his social responsibility.

CIOL: If not an actor, where would you have been? Also, where would you see yourself 20 years down the line?
Suhasini: I would have worked for the government, may be in civil services or in the police department. Twenty years from now I will be older and wiser but no different.

CIOL:If you have to describe yourself in one sentence how would you do it?
Suhasini: Hyper active, never say die.

CIOL:Name any person or an incident that changed your thinking or brought in significant change in your life.
Suhasini: Everyday is a learning experience. I am not a drama queen for one incident to change my life. My life was planned slowly and meticulously.

CIOL:What do awards mean to you? Can an actor's talent be measured by the number of awards?
Suhasini: Awards used to be good when there were no TV channels selling soaps between awards. Hence there is one award given for the count of one soap in the supermarket these days. Awards have lost their charm and speciality a bit but an award is an AWARD if one did good work.