Actress Sheetal Menon has returned to acting with the web-series Flip. She is almost ready with her first short movie as a filmmaker too. She says that directing a film was something that she had never thought of.
“The working title is Siblings. It’s about sisters. There is a situation in the sisters’ lives. It is a simple family story. I do have an elder sister but I don’t know if I was inspired by that or not,” Menon told IANS in a telephonic interview.
“I have written and directed it. I have also acted in it. The whole idea was that as an actor, I was trying to get back in the picture,” added the actress, who had last acted in the 2016 Tamil film Saagasam.
Directing it was not on her mind.
“My husband (filmmaker-writer Bejoy Nambiar) suggested that I should make it since I had given it so much time,” she said.
Initially, Menon was hesitant.
“I said ‘I can’t direct a film’. He said ‘If you see a story and you are clear about it, go and make it’. Then I jumped into it and made it happen. I am also surprised that I managed to do that. I never saw myself making a film. I am also looking forward to making my next after this,” she said.
But why has she been staying away from feature films?
“You have to do lots from your side. Passion is one and everyone works hard but extra energy is required to meet 50 people and tell them that you need work. Whatever work came my way, I did it.
“Hats off to people who are just at it. You can’t be laid-back about it. You need to have the same hunger for it every single day. The industry demands that,” she said.
For her, life is not just about acting.
“I am very much a home person so, I enjoy that side of my life very much too. I don’t want to compromise on it completely but I couldn’t let go of it completely. That’s why I am back now,” she said.
After working with Nambiar on films like David (2013) and Shaitan (2011), the husband and wife have teamed up for Eros Now’s latest series Flip.
Talking about her acting comeback an an actress and her debut on the digital platform, she said: “I just feel that work is work. Platform doesn’t matter. The same amount of prep goes into web-series and films.”
Working with her husband must have been comfortable for her.
“There is certain amount of comfort definitely. It feels like home to me but that doesn’t mean that you are spoiled. When you are shooting with him, he will throw you in any place and you need to be comfortable,” said Menon.
Sharing an example, she said: “While shooting for Flip, we had to sit in the water at night. It was so dark. There were cobras around. I was shivering and was so scared. Bejoy just needed the shot.
“I poured diesel around us and sprayed mosquito repellents on our bodies out of fear.”