Bhavani Sre has opened up about her experience of working with Suriya in Vishwanath And Sons, admitting that she felt nervous and star-struck when she first had to face the celebrated actor on set. In an exclusive conversation with Zoom, the actress also recalled how Suriya’s encouragement helped her settle into her role and approach an important performance with greater confidence.
For Bhavani Sre, working alongside Suriya was more than another professional assignment. Having grown up watching the actor’s films, she found herself facing the familiar challenge many performers encounter when professional admiration meets the reality of sharing a screen with a major star.
The actress is part of the family drama Vishwanath And Sons, directed by Venky Atluri, which brings together an ensemble cast including Suriya, Raveena Tandon and Nassar. While Bhavani described the overall experience as enjoyable, she acknowledged that her first scenes with Suriya came with a very different kind of pressure.
Bhavani Sre Says She Was Star-Struck by Suriya
Speaking about her first experience of working with Suriya, Bhavani Sre explained that she was initially unsure about how she would perform opposite an actor she had watched since childhood.
“Having watched him while growing up, the first time I worked with him in a film, I was actually in awe,” she said.
She added that despite already having several films behind her, meeting a major star can naturally create nervousness.
“Although I am a few films old, when you meet a big star, you do get nervous and star-struck. That happened when I faced the camera with Suriya sir,” Bhavani recalled.
Her nervousness became particularly noticeable before an important shot. She admitted that she was thinking about how she would manage the scene while standing opposite Suriya.
“Before giving my shot, I was thinking, ‘How am I going to do this?’” she recalled.
It was Suriya’s response that helped change the atmosphere.
According to Bhavani, the actor encouraged her before the performance, telling her, “This is a good role, ma.”
That reassurance appears to have helped her approach the scene with greater confidence.
Suriya Praised Her Performance After the Monologue
The encouragement did not end before the camera started rolling. After Bhavani performed her monologue, Suriya reportedly appreciated her work and offered feedback on how naturally she was inhabiting the character.
“He appreciated me and said, ‘You are embracing the character, and that’s very good,’” she recalled.
For a performer who had initially been anxious about sharing the frame with him, the response carried particular significance.
“A comment like that from a star like him means a lot,” Bhavani said.
The episode also highlights an important part of the actor’s experience on a large ensemble production: confidence can sometimes come from the smallest moments of encouragement on set. For Bhavani, hearing positive feedback from someone whose work she had followed for years appears to have helped turn initial nervousness into a more comfortable creative collaboration.
A Fun Experience With the Vishwanath And Sons Cast
Despite her initial nerves around Suriya, Bhavani described the overall experience of making Vishwanath And Sons as “quite fun.”
The film brings together performers from different generations and backgrounds, including Suriya, Raveena Tandon, Nassar and Bhavani Sre. According to the actress, the cast eventually developed a sense of togetherness while working on the Venky Atluri-directed project.
For Bhavani, that collective atmosphere was an important part of the experience.
The film also required its performers to navigate complicated family relationships, making the interactions between characters central to the story. Bhavani’s character forms part of those dynamics, giving her an opportunity to work within an ensemble rather than simply carrying an isolated storyline.
Bhavani Sre’s Journey From Early Doubts to Confidence
Bhavani Sre’s comments about Suriya also fit into a broader story about her growth as an actor.
Her career has involved working with filmmakers and performers known for demanding, character-driven cinema. One of the significant milestones in her journey came through her association with filmmaker Vetrimaaran and the Viduthalai franchise.
She has previously spoken about how Vetrimaaran’s approach to filmmaking differed from what she expected. Rather than giving actors the entire script in advance, his process involved allowing performers to approach individual scenes with limited information.
For an actor, that method can require considerable instinct and preparation.
Bhavani has described the experience as one that challenged her to approach scenes differently. Instead of relying entirely on an established understanding of the complete narrative, performers had to respond to the immediate circumstances of their characters.
That experience became part of her larger learning curve as she developed her craft.
Early Roles Helped Build Her Confidence
Bhavani’s early career was not without uncertainty. Like many actors starting out, she had doubts about whether she could successfully handle demanding roles.
Her work in Kaa Pe Ranasingam became an important step in that process. The film gave her an opportunity to establish herself as a performer and receive attention for her acting.
The appreciation that followed helped change her own perception of her abilities.
Rather than viewing herself simply as someone trying to find a place in the industry, she began developing the confidence to take on more challenging characters.
Her subsequent association with acclaimed filmmakers and diverse projects has continued that progression.
Bhavani Sre Is Choosing Variety Over a Fixed Image
Another notable aspect of Bhavani’s career is her willingness to experiment rather than restrict herself to one particular image.
With multiple projects coming her way, the actress has indicated that she remains open to different kinds of characters and genres.
“I just try to take on any role I am approached for,” she said.
That approach could prove valuable as she continues building a filmography across different styles of cinema. Instead of attempting to immediately establish a fixed commercial persona, Bhavani appears interested in allowing the characters and stories to determine the direction of her career.
Her experience with Vishwanath And Sons is another example of that approach, placing her within a large-scale ensemble and alongside one of Tamil cinema’s most recognisable stars.
Why Suriya’s Encouragement Matters
The interaction between Bhavani Sre and Suriya may seem like a small behind-the-scenes anecdote, but it offers an interesting glimpse into the emotional side of filmmaking.
For established stars, working with a new or comparatively less experienced performer can involve creating an environment where the actor feels comfortable enough to perform naturally. In Bhavani’s case, a few encouraging words before and after her scene appear to have helped reduce the pressure she initially felt.
It also demonstrates how actors continue to experience moments of vulnerability regardless of how many films they have completed.
Bhavani had already built professional experience before Vishwanath And Sons, yet facing an actor she had admired while growing up brought back the nervousness of being a newcomer.
Her ability to move past that feeling and deliver the scene became an important personal moment.
Vishwanath And Sons Gives Bhavani Another Opportunity to Grow
With Vishwanath And Sons, Bhavani Sre finds herself contributing to a story built around family relationships, interpersonal tensions and emotional complexity.
Working alongside performers such as Suriya, Raveena Tandon and Nassar also gives her another opportunity to learn within an ensemble environment.
More importantly, her experience on the film appears to have reinforced a lesson that has followed her throughout her career: confidence often comes through doing the work rather than waiting for self-doubt to disappear.
Her initial reaction to Suriya was one of nervousness. By the time she completed her monologue and received his appreciation, the dynamic had changed from anxiety to reassurance.
For Bhavani, that may ultimately be one of the most memorable parts of the project.
As her career continues to expand, her willingness to take on varied characters, work with different directors and step outside her comfort zone could become one of the defining strengths of her journey. And if her experience on Vishwanath And Sons is any indication, she is increasingly learning to trust herself even when the person standing across the camera is a star she once watched from the audience.
