Amala Akkineni Remembers Srividya’s Quiet Camera Lessons

Amala Akkineni has been part of Indian cinema long enough to have worked across Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films. But ask her about her first day on a set, and the memory that comes back is of a senior actor who made the camera feel less intimidating.

Amala made her debut in T. Rajender’s Mythili Ennai Kaathal, where the late Srividya played her dance teacher. She had not seen Srividya’s films before they shared the frame. She only knew she was working with a renowned actor.

From Bharatanatyam to a close-up

Amala trained at Kalakshetra in Chennai, where Bharatanatyam taught her to use her eyes, eyebrows, hands and entire body to express emotion. That training was valuable, but it became a challenge in front of a close-up lens.

In the celluloid era, there were no monitors to review a take. An actor often had to wait until much later to see what she had done. Srividya understood the gap and would whisper small, practical directions between takes:

• “Don’t raise your eyebrows.”
• “Look this way, above the camera.”
• “Hold very still, don’t lift your eyebrows, try to speak normally.”

Those instructions may sound tiny, but Amala said they helped a newcomer find the right scale for the camera.

A co-star who gave 200 per cent

Amala remembered Srividya as selfless and never complaining. Even as a debutante, she felt they were working together for the scene. The senior actor had no obligation to guide a newcomer, but she did it anyway and made the working environment feel safe.

What stayed with Amala was Srividya’s expressive face. “She could convey an entire scene with her eyes without saying a single word,” she recalled. The two communicated in a mix of English and Tamil, and the warmth carried over to a few later collaborations, though Amala does not remember the names of the other Tamil films.

The film she calls a landmark

One title Amala remembers clearly is the Malayalam film Ente Sooryaputhrikku. They played a mother and daughter in a troubled relationship, and Srividya was a classical singer. Director Fazil worked to make both actors comfortable with their characters and their relationship.

The Tamil version did not perform too well, but the Malayalam version and its music were hugely successful. For Amala, that film became a landmark, and it is the one she returns to when remembering the actor who could tell a whole story through her eyes.

Source: Filmfare

■

#Amala Akkineni#Classical dance#Ente Sooryaputhrikku#Film mentorship#Indian Cinema#Malayalam cinema#Srividya