STAGE, SCREEN SCRIPT

Saras Menon is a Legacy in Motion

- SHAHUL HAMEED

"I saw Deepika Padukone perform. She's incredibly expressive with her eyes..." says Saras Menon on the journey to carve out her own space. Heart full of passion, beaming with positivity, a live wire- Saras Menon is hungry to win it all.

It's easy to box her in as a product of privilege, but Saras has turned that privilege into purpose. She's a multidisciplinary artist who wears her legacy with pride and puts in the work to carve a space that's uniquely hers.

Hailing from the household of ace cinematographer and director Rajiv Menon, Saras seems well-equipped to carry the legacy forward, with both sensitivity and spark. Following her poignant performances in Sookshmadarshini and 3BHK, she has a string of exciting projects lined up, including a deeply personal passion project.

In a candid conversation with us, Saras opened up about her love for cinema, her journey through various creative departments, her commitment to mental health advocacy, and more.

1. Firstly, the most cliché question. Your father is a legendary filmmaker and a cinematographer. Coming into the industry and trying to carve out a space for yourself, what kind of challenges do you face?

I think, of course, the legacy of both my father, my grandmother, and my mother's body of work as artists was incredibly inspiring, but also very difficult to live up to. I was quite afraid of how I'd maintain the standard of work in my family, and also how I'd find opportunities because I had to start from scratch.

When it came to behind-the-scenes opportunities, it was much easier for me to build a network and make connections. But acting in front of the camera took the longest. It took me almost seven to eight years—honestly, even longer—to finally get to act.