{
  "id": 13009991,
  "title": "Shriya Saran says playing Nandini last time in Drishyam 3 took its toll: ‘A heavy feeling’",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/shriya-saran-says-playing-nandini-last-time-in-drishyam-3-took-its",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-09T02:39:26.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/bollywood/shriya-saran-says-playing-nandini-last-time-in-drishyam-3-took-its-toll-a-heavy-feeling-10911036/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Shriya Saran, who has portrayed Nandini Salgaonkar in all three installments of the Drishyam franchise, recently shared her experiences working on the latest film, Drishyam: The Conclusion. The 11-year tenure of playing the character has proven to be physically and emotionally taxing for the actress, who likened the process to carrying a \"heavy feeling.\" In her conversation with SCREEN, Shriya discussed the challenges of playing Nandini across the three films, her close collaboration with co-star Ajay Devgn, and the emotional impact of concluding the character she had lived for a decade.\n\nShriya expressed that Ajay Devgn's natural expressiveness and acting style made his co-starring experience seamless. However, she emphasized that for her, understanding Nandini's emotional journey required extensive preparation, including grasping the backstory, tone, and the emotions behind each line. The actor also highlighted Ajay's generosity and collaborative nature in their professional relationship.\n\nFor Drishyam: The Conclusion, Shriya faced a different emotional landscape as Nandini's character had evolved significantly since the previous film. The actress said that the central emotion for her character in the final part was helplessness, as she contemplated what could have happened if a mother had stepped in to save her daughter in critical moments. She connected this feeling to the relationship between Nandini and her daughter, Anju, stating that many parents could relate to this universal sentiment.\n\nAnother challenge for Shriya in playing Nandini was her character's minimal dialogue. Her performance relied heavily on body language, eye movements, and silences to convey her emotions. The actor acknowledged that while expressing oneself through silence had its advantages, it also presented its own set of difficulties.\n\nAs the final scenes of the film approached, Shriya recalled the emotional weight of shooting the last meal of the family and the realization that Drishyam: The Conclusion might be her last time playing Nandini. The actress expressed both the heartbreak and gratitude she felt for the experience, acknowledging the deep connection she had developed with the character and the film's crew over the years.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Shriya Saran played Nandini in three Drishyam films, totaling 11 years",
    "Concluding Nandini took emotional toll, described as \"a heavy feeling\"",
    "Helplessness was central emotion for Nandini in final film"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}