'Accidental actor' Shruti revisits her debut in father Kamal Hassan's film

At the India Today South Conclave 2026, Shruti Haasan recalled how a role in Luck drew her into acting unexpectedly. She said the experience changed her plans to work behind the camera and shaped her journey across languages.

In Short

• Shruti Haasan says she never planned to become an actor and initially wanted to work behind the camera
• She said her rakhi brother, actor Imran Khan offered her the role
• Watching her screen performance pushed her to pursue the craft seriously

Actor Shruti Haasan has recalled how she accidentally found her way into acting, saying she had always wanted to work behind the camera and write. Speaking at the India Today South Conclave 2026 in Kochi on Wednesday, Shruti said her first acting appearance came in her father Kamal Haasan’s Hey Ram (2000), when she was working in the costume department with her mother.

Shruti said she was not originally meant to be part of the film. The production team realised that Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had arrived with his daughter and needed an actor for the role. Since Shruti was available, she was brought in for the part. Looking back, she said, “I always wanted to be behind the camera. I don't know how I ended up here. I wanted to write,” explaining that her debut was essentially accidental.

She recalled that she did not have much say in the decision at the time. “They didn't have a daughter and an actor available for free. I was available and that's how I made my debut. I did not have a choice,” she said. Shruti also had to prepare her own costume for the first shot, an experience she remains thankful for.

Working with her parents was not necessarily an easy experience, Shruti said, describing both Kamal Haasan and her mother as taskmasters. “Working with your parents, fun? Not really. They both are taskmasters and it was a great experience for me,” she said.

How music led her to Bollywood

Shruti later made her Bollywood debut with Luck (2009), but acting was still not part of her larger plan. At the time, she was more interested in music and wanted to earn enough money to buy equipment for her music. Her rakhi brother and Luck co-star Imran Khan told her about the role, which she initially saw as a one-off opportunity.

Shruti recalled that she wanted to leave home, earn money and buy a drum kit and mixer console for her music. “When he said there is a role like this, I never ever thought I would do it again. That’s when the acting bug bit me,” she said.

Her first experience of seeing herself on screen, however, made her reconsider how seriously she was taking acting. Shruti said she was unhappy with her performance and wanted to give the craft the same commitment that her family and audiences had given it. “When I saw myself on screen and I was unhappy, I wanted to give it to the craft that gave me so much, my family and audience. And that's where my journey began with my second film,” she said.

Working across languages

Shruti has since worked across Hindi, Tamil and Telugu cinema and said moving between industries was never a carefully planned career strategy. “I didn't know any other way,” she said, explaining that different film industries were already part of her upbringing.

She recalled her mother having stories from Bombay and studios such as Annapurna and Ramanaidu, while Kamal Haasan worked in Hindi and Malayalam films. Shruti also pointed out that actors crossing linguistic boundaries is not a new phenomenon and believes actors from the 1970s and 1980s had already done what is now being described as pan-India cinema. “The actors in the ’70s and ’80s have aced it and done it better than us,” she said.

For Shruti, working across industries is about experiencing different cultures and avenues of storytelling rather than simply carrying the pan-India label.

Why she wants to work in Malayalam cinema

Despite being a fan of Malayalam cinema, Shruti is yet to make her Malayalam debut. She said she would like to work in the industry when the right opportunity comes together, adding that she is always happy to visit Kerala.

“I am happy to come to Kerala for any excuse. It's like my favourite palace. I don't know why I haven't done a Malayalam film. It's just not come together, but I am a huge fan of Malayalam cinema, so I would love to one day,” she said.

Shruti particularly admires the industry's focus on moments within a story rather than constantly trying to make films bigger or more pan-India. She said all South Indian film industries have their own rhythm, but what stands out to her about Malayalam cinema is its attention to “the moments that matter to the story, to the storyteller”.

On nepotism and her family legacy

Shruti also spoke about growing up as the daughter of Kamal Haasan and Sarika and the difficulty of navigating the scrutiny that came with her family background. She admitted that she initially struggled to understand how to deal with the expectations and perceptions surrounding her.

“I did not know how to navigate it,” Shruti said. She recalled that her identity as a musician also affected how people perceived her and that she had often felt like a slightly different person even while growing up.

Rather than constantly trying to correct those perceptions, Shruti said she eventually accepted that being different was part of who she was. “I am not one to comment on someone’s journey. Scrutiny is always there. My aim from day one is to stand the Shruti first and that is something I continue pursuing,” she said.

She also believes social media has made scrutiny more complicated for everyone, not just people from film families. Shruti described it as a major impediment to people's behaviour, individual thought and freedom of expression.

Acting, music and being a multi-hyphenate artist

Shruti said she never deliberately set out to become a multi-hyphenate artist. Her careers in acting and music developed alongside each other, with experiences from childhood gradually pushing her towards both.

“I didn’t set out to be a multi-hyphenate artist. It just panned out that way,” she said. She recalled how Kamal Haasan would make her stand on tables and sing in front of artists, painters and directors, although she did not always understand who the people around her were at the time.

Shruti said social media has now made it easier for artists to explore multiple identities, whereas when she started out, people often asked her to focus on one profession because doing several things could confuse audiences.

While cinema remains her primary focus, she feels she has not given independent music as much attention as she would have liked. “My entire focus has been on cinema. I have not put out nearly as much independent music that I should,” she said.

She now wants to do more independent music and believes the space needs greater support. “That is one regret that I am trying to fix, which is to do more independent music because that is the industry that needs the push right now,” she said.

Shruti also clarified that singing for a film does not mean she approaches the project as both an actor and singer. “It is not a two-in-one dhamaka. If I happen to sing for a song in my film, I will. It is their vision, film and I respect my directors thoroughly. If it happens organically, it is great. Otherwise, my job is to go there and be a disciplined collaborator,” she said.

On Kamal Haasan and politics

Shruti was also asked about her father Kamal Haasan’s political journey. She said she did not consider herself politically informed enough to give him an opinion on his political decisions, although she has her own views as a member of the public.

Shruti said she helped Kamal with his political party because she loves him and wanted to contribute in whatever capacity she could. She also stressed that being socially conscious does not necessarily mean entering politics.

On Call Me Bae Season 2 and streaming

Shruti is also part of Call Me Bae Season 2, a project she admitted was outside her usual space. She said her friends had told her the show was amazing and that she has always liked Ananya Panday and followed her journey.

She also discussed the changing relationship between cinema and streaming platforms. Shruti recalled that streaming was initially viewed as a “new golden goose” that could create opportunities for films and stories audiences wanted to watch.

According to her, streaming platforms now have a much greater influence over the business of films, including pre-sales, and the two sides need to find a workable relationship. She described the current relationship between the two as needing to be “artificially symbiotic”.

On stories centred on women

Shruti also questioned the tendency to describe films as “women-oriented”, saying stories should instead be written around characters. “I always had a problem with that, stories should be written with characters in mind,” she said.

She believes the “women-oriented” label can unnecessarily narrow the way female actors and their roles are viewed, when women should simply be allowed to play characters based on what the story requires.

Working with Dulquer Salmaan

Shruti is also set to work with Dulquer Salmaan for the first time. She clarified that she is not paired opposite the actor in the project and described her character as “super fun”, with a completely different tonality from much of her previous work.

She praised the director and makers for their drive and passion, saying audiences would understand why she was excited about the project when it releases. Shruti also described Dulquer as one of the most polite people she has met and summed up their contrasting personalities by saying, “I am hyper and he is peaceful.”

On Salaar 2 and her future plans

Asked about Salaar 2, Shruti said there have been discussions but suggested that the makers would be the right people to confirm the project's status. “You should ask the makers about it, but there are some talks about it,” she said.

Shruti also said she does not have a single favourite film industry, having worked across several industries and outside India. For her, every experience offers an opportunity to learn, and she does not want to reduce different industries to fixed cultural identities.

Alongside acting, she is planning a music tour that will include independent music as well as film songs recalibrated to suit her musical style.

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