It wasn't easy to work on Kochadiiyaan

You were missing from the trailer launchof your next film Kochadiiyaan. There are reports that you are not participating in promoting the film.

The trailer launch in Mumbai was a last minute plan. There weren’t any plans to hold an event here.

(Director) Soundarya messaged me that same evening to join them. For the last two weeks, I have been shooting for Happy New Year and we are having night shoots so unfortunately, I couldn’t make it.

I did speak to Rajini sir. As far as the promotion is concerned, I think we need to lock on a release date first before we take anything forward.

Kochadiiyaan is the first performance-capture film in India and Rajinikanth mentioned that it was difficult for him to understand the technology. Was it the same with you?

It wasn’t easy to work on Kochadiiyaan. In fact, when I look back, I can’t think how I did it.

Luckily, Soundarya has so much knowledge about the technology and that kind of filmmaking.

The biggest difference is that when we normally shoot films, it’s very organic. You feel what you perform. With Kochadiiyaan, there were a lot of technical things.

We had a camera that was right in my face. I am not in costume. I am playing a princess but while I am shooting, I am just wearing track pants and a T-shirt.

When you play a particular character, the costume largely helps you to be that person.

We have no sets and no co-stars, so it’s a very bland process. At the same time, it pushed me to use my imagination.

For example, if I had to climb a staircase, I had to imagine it as it is not physically present. If I had to hold something or touch something, I had to imagine what it would be like.

Image: Deepika Padukone