I'm not out of work: Priya Mani...!!!

For over half a year, Priya Mani has only been talking about three to four films, most of which she had committed to in the year gone by. But quiz her if that is an indication that reports of her and several other senior female actors being jobless are true and she sees red. 

"That is absurd. How can I or any other actor be jobless when each of us has several films in hand and continue to get offers, while filmmakers wait patiently for our dates? I, for instance, have four films in hand at the moment, Kshetram, Vishnuvardhana, Lakshmi and Kho Kho," states the actor. 

Remind her that these are the projects that she's been talking about for the longest time and she retorts, "There's nothing that I can do when projects I commit to get unduly delayed. Kshetram should have been completed a long time ago, but soon after I was signed up for it, there was an indefinite strike call in Tollywood. In the process, I got an unexpected holiday for a few months, but the film's shoot got pushed. When such unforeseen issues crop up, it becomes impossible for an actor to sign new projects, as you are unsure as to when you can allot dates to that project," says Priya, adding, "I have another week's work left on Kshetram, after which I will take off to Bangkokfor the songs of the Shivanna-starrer Lakshmi. Once I am back from that schedule, I will travel across Karnataka for Kho Kho. I am also told I have three to four days work left on Vishnuvardhana. Hopefully by October, I would have completed all my pending commitments and should be free to take up new work." 

So are there any offers that she is keen to sign up for? "Yes. But I have to first figure out how to schedule my dates before I sign on the dotted line for any of these films," she says. Does that mean that Bollywood is not on the horizon? The question is met with laughter. "I'm not saying anything at this point. But well, I am looking at working there. That doesn't mean that getting a Hindi film is a priority. I am taking my time to figure out what I want to do there. An actor like me can't just take up anything coming my way for the sake of being in the limelight or remaining in circulation," says Priya, who's currently in Hyderabad, winding up Kshetram. 

And these days, she adds, staying away from home is rather painful for her. There's a new man in her life and she's missing him when she's on outdoor shoots. "The new man in my life is my pet dog Mocha. My dad did not allow me to keep a pet at home all these days. Finally, he's relented and I'm loving each moment I spend with Mocha," says Priya.