Shruti Haasan's Secret to Stardom: How Music Fuels Her Acting Career

Shruti Haasan, the multifaceted actor-musician, credits her legendary father, Kamal Haasan, for igniting her passion for music. In an exclusive interview with PTI, the 39-year-old shared how her father's impromptu singing around the house and creative games, like crafting songs from imaginary languages, laid the foundation for her musical journey. Her mother, Sarika, a connoisseur of music, further enriched her childhood with a constant stream of melodies, fostering a deep connection to music that continues to influence her work.

"My interest in music was born from my dad singing around the house," Shruti said. "He’s an incredible singer with a hidden rockstar in him. We bond over classic rock, the Woodstock era, and musicals." This familial bond with music led Shruti to sing at age six for her father’s film Thevar Magan (1992), marking the start of a prolific career in playback singing across Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi cinema. Beyond playback, she fronts her alternative rock band, The Extramentals, and has performed at international music festivals, releasing English singles like Edge (2020), She Is A Hero (2022), and Monster Machine (2023).

Shruti often shares her musical creations with her father, though she kept her contribution to his recent film Thug Life—the song Vinveli Nayaga—a surprise until its release. "I don’t tell him about movie scripts, but I’ll always share my songs," she said, highlighting their unique bond. This interplay between music and cinema defines her career, with Shruti noting that her work in films has profoundly shaped her songwriting and musical expression.

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"Cinema influences my music far more than the other way around," she explained. "Playing different characters forces me to engage with emotions that aren’t mine, which changes my music and writing style." Her roles in films like Gabbar Singh, Srimanthudu, Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji, and Salaar have expanded her creative range, allowing her to explore diverse emotional landscapes that enrich her music.

Her latest project, Coolie, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj and starring Rajinikanth, came about unexpectedly through a prior musical collaboration. "Lokesh appeared in one of my music videos, and during a casual chat, he offered me the role," Shruti recalled. "It was a no-brainer to work with him and Rajini sir." Coolie marks her return to Tamil cinema after a sporadic phase, following a deliberate two-year break between 2016 and 2018 to reconnect with music and focus on personal growth.

Addressing her absence from Tamil films, Shruti clarified it was not intentional but a matter of timing and selective choices. "I took time to return to music, which I had set aside," she said. While balancing her careers in acting and music, she acknowledged fans’ expectations for more frequent onscreen appearances. "I’m listening to scripts and love deciding what’s next," she said, teasing upcoming projects and a tour with The Extramentals. "I’ll be back in front of audiences with more shows soon."

Shruti Haasan’s story is one of synergy between music and cinema, where each craft enhances the other, driven by a lifelong passion sparked in her childhood home.

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