Southern Spice: Anu Haasan is drawn to nature

How often do you hear of celebrities rolling up their pants and getting down and dirty? For actor and television chat show host, Anu Haasan (niece of actor Kamal Haasan), it’s all in a day’s work.

The star, who volunteers at The Tarn, a public park in London, often gets her hands dirty turning soil, clearing brambles and plants and chopping trees. She was even recently awarded a certificate by the city’s mayor for her work.

But that’s not the only thing keeping her busy.

Haasan, who has made London her home following her marriage to Graham Jay, a banker, was last seen in Revathy’s National Award-winning short film Red Building Where The Sun Sets. She also starred in an Arabic short film, Deadpoint, directed by upcoming director Milad Latoof, where she played the mother of a young Iraqi man who is forced to join the army.

“I had only two lines. I learnt them and although my pronunciation made [co star] Saeed Farhat laugh, I was quite pleased that I actually remembered words which are totally unfamiliar. I probably should have made him say, ‘Vazhaippazham tholil vazhukki vizhundein [I slipped on a banana peel],’ in Tamil, or something like that,” she laughs.

In Joe Eshwar’s unreleased film Kunthapura, Haasan is a television journalist.

“Actually, [I] was just being me. I have always been comfortable talking to the camera. I did have Malayalam dialogues, but I was playing a Palghat Iyer, so I hope people will be forgiving of my Malayalam,” she says, adding that she was also happy to work in the same film as her uncle, Charuhasan.

“He was the only one in the family I had not worked with.”

On Eshwar, she says, “He is one of the nicest people. Add to this his passion for filmmaking and his intelligence when it comes to approaching filming and you have someone who is a delight to work with.”

Coming up are Tamil films Kaanagham, directed by Maamani, where she plays a radar specialist, and Aayiram Kanavughal, directed by Nantha thurai. “It is the lead role and a tough one, as I have to be both traditional and modern.”

But Haasan, who debuted in her cousin Suhasini Maniratnam’s film Indira, says she isn’t sure if the movie business is her real calling.

“I think [films] tap into some of my core competencies. I am a reasonably competent anchor and actor, and I suppose films and TV is a logical choice.

“But I think my calling is farming, as surprising as it might be. In about five years, I hope to retire on a farm which is self sustaining.”