Her Striker co-star Siddharth had said "…I remember Padmapriya walking into location on the first day as a vegetarian and eating raw fish within the first day because she plays a fisherwoman." This passionate actor has not only found her place in the hearts of many, but also in Bollywood.

Padmapriya has worked with big names like Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Cheran, Vishnuvardhan and has bagged some of the most coveted roles down South. Her army upbringing has taught her discipline and a penchant for an open mind! A trained Bharatnatyam dancer and an MBA graduate, her love for nature is evident with her Environmental Law degree from National Law School.

By Aparajita Bose

ROLES: College girl, mother, salesgirl, beggar and also that of a prostitute and a bar owner, I have bagged some of the best roles in recent years. I have done Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam movies with some of the best actors.

LANGUAGES: I love travelling and pick up languages and the culture of the local place easily. I know seven languages in total, including Punjabi, Bengali and Hindi. I think that has helped me a lot.

ACTING: As a child, I was never keen about modelling or acting, but I was always fascinated by the medium.

STRIKER: It has been a good experience and it is my entry point into Bollywood. However, it is not a red carpet film for me.

STRUGGLE AND CONTROVERSIES: A movie is like an art form, all actors are distinct, and all of us enact our roles distinctly. A superficial competition exists only at a media level. There is no 'I could have done it better'.

DREAM ROLE: I would not like to do anything that has been done before. The characters for men are better sketched. I was very impressed by Sean Penn's role in Milk. I would love to do that kind of a role.

WHAT HASSLES ME: I do not like wearing watches. It is almost as if I am being controlled by time. I do not like wearing jewellery either. Oh! I definitely do not like flashy, flamboyant people!

MARRIAGE: (laughs) I believe in the institution of marriage and I think I will make the best wife. However, for that one needs a guy, and I don't have one in my life as yet. I love cooking, especially desserts. Someday I would love to open a café cum bakery, with a relaxed setting and lots of books!

FUTURE PLANS: I don't think I can handle the strain of being an actor or director later. However, I know I can take to being a producer like a fish takes to water. I am very good at Marketing, executive, resource management and I owe it to my MBA. In addition, I understand Cinema well.

UNWIND: I love traveling. I am more of a backpacker. I love trekking, forest camping and I feel one with nature. I absolutely fell in love with Rishikesh's serene beauty.

BOOKS I LOVE: I love reading literary fiction and political history. I love Sherlock Holmes and graphic novels.

FAVOURITE AUTHOR: Albert Camus.