The actor was bowled over by Assamese culture, food, and the weather
HT Bureau
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GUWAHATI, April 10: Popular actor Shruti Haasan, who is on her maiden visit to Assam to attend the sixth edition of Rongali, was felicitated at the cultural extravaganza for her outstanding contribution to Indian cinema for over a decade. The ‘Bestseller’ actor is all excited to explore the rich Assamese culture, heritage and food in the festival.
As a child actor, Shruti appeared in a guest role in her father Kamal Haasan’s directorial ‘Hey Ram’ in 2000 before making her adult acting debut in the 2009 Bollywood film ‘Luck’. She also achieved recognition with leading roles in Telugu and Tamil films. She recently made her web-series debut with ‘Bestseller’, where she received accolades for her brilliant performance.
“It’s so wonderful to be here in Rongali and being felicitated here. This is my first ever trip to Assam and I am super excited to be here especially in the festive occasion of Rongali, which is celebrating Assamese culture. I am honoured to be here. I have been looking forward to coming here and it’s really special,” said a thrilled Shruti.
Shruti is in Guwahati, Assam with her boyfriend and popular doodle artiste Santanu Hazarika. They connected over social media in 2017 and have been a great admirer of each other’s work. Shruti was sporting a black Muga Silk saree gifted by Santanu’s mother.
“It was really interesting to know that Assam has a rich culture, heritage and history. There are so many tribes and their emergence has a great history. The state has undergone so many religious movements here. Everything is so interesting here. People here are really humble, friendly and it has been such a great pleasure to get to know Assamese people on a personal level. There is so much to explore. And, food is something which tops my list,” she said.
Shruti has an elaborate musical background too and has worked with composers like Ilaiyaraaja, Vishal Bhardwaj, Salim–Sulaiman among others. Off late, the actor has become a fan of Assamese folk music. “I have been listening to a lot of folk music from Assam, all thanks to Santanu. I have recently watched the Assamese film ‘Aamis’, which I really loved.”
Shruti especially took out some time from her busy schedule to attend Rongali, the biggest and most colourful festival of Assam. She has been currently shooting three projects – ‘Salaar’ with Prabhas, ‘NBK 107’ with Balakrishna and ‘Chiru 154’.
“I am here for a short trip because I have to go back to work. I am going to come back soon and explore the food, culture and the wildlife. I really want to visit Kamakhya Mandir. I want to experience how the everyday life of Assam feels like. Looking forward to a longer trip here.”
Her rumoured beau Santanu had showcased his creations in previous editions of Rongali. Santanu is mentoring the budding artistes in the sixth edition of the festival.
A nostalgic Santanu said, “It’s a homecoming for me. Visiting Rongali is a special feeling. I have been quite a constant in Rongali and I am fortunate that my talent has always been recognized in the previous editions of Rongali. I am really thankful to the organisers of the festival, where budding artistes get a platform to showcase their work.”
Welcoming Santanu and Shruti to the festival, chief organiser of Rongali Shyamkanu Mohanta said, “We are privileged to have these two rockstars amongst us in our festival. They are the real youth sensations. Santanu has been a constant in Rongali and his arts have motivated so many youngsters to take up art as a career option. Shruti is not just an ordinary film personality but she is also into music and philanthropy.”
