"I live life to the fullest and I see myself constantly evolving," this vibrant statement more or less sums up Padmapriya Janakiraman as a person. “I don’t know why, but I am called Pappu by those whom I know in Kerala.” That was indeed  a new one, and there is much more to come.

At 19, Padmapriya thought that a Miss India platform would be good enough to present her feminist points of view and worked hard to win it; but only after she fulfilled her father’s wish to obtain a degree in MBA before taking part in the beauty pageant. Call it an irony of life, but this army kid,  after being crowned in the South Zone and being selected to the first 30 at the All India level, had the sheer guts to say a big ‘NO’ to a platform for which she sweated it out for almost 7 years. The ability to say no does not come easy to most. “If I had won a Miss India title, I could have become a big time Bollywood actress. But then I understood that this was not my cup of tea. I don’t regret my decision. Today with 45 movies behind me and having vibed with some of the most brilliant directors and co-stars, I see life as half full and not half empty.”

Being an army kid has no doubt moulded her as a very strong person. “Being an army kid is super cool. It is a great plus point. There is no sport I have not tried my hand at: horse riding, basketball… you name it. Then come the etiquette and the confidence level. It is like a part and parcel of your life.” But then she reminds you when asked whether it helps in coping with a career in movies that, “just like any job, banking or in a corporate office, this field also has its insecurities. Especially in the higher order of the job profile, nothing is definite. The pressure is much higher.”

Though the Wikipedia would tell you that Padmapriya’s debut is the Telugu Movie ‘Seenu Vasanthi Lakshmi,’ our protagonist chooses to differ “I did a music album while I was in the 12th standard, in Andhra. And I have done ads too. The Telugu movie was done for the sake of friendship when I found time apart from my corporate work. If you ask me I would say that ‘Vadakkum Nathan (2006) is my debut movie from my perspective as I started taking this career seriously with that movie.”

This actor is also a trained dancer but interestingly Padmapriya says,  “Cinematic acting totally differs from the theatrical acting in dance. I actually had to undo all that theatrical element to get into movie acting.” As one listens keenly, the lady laughs, “But having started performing on stage from the age of 4 1/2, I  know very wellwhat it is like to feel really embarrassed. So today as long as I get my things right, I care a damn about what others think about me. I am a shameless goon.”

As one settles down to this fearless side to her personality, comes another one. “I am definitely a drama queen. And I love to be at the center of attraction. I am flamboyant by nature and actually get a bit annoyed when I am not noticed. But only as long as it has to do with my films and not on a personal level.” There is no mincing of words here. The words are sharp and clear.