Exclusive! Priya Mani: Dr 56 aims to create awareness about the medical mafia and healthcare scams

When we called Priya Mani today about her release this week, the Kannada-Tamil bilingual Dr 56, which is her first in three years, she was on set of a new project in Manali. It is apparent that there’s a lot happening around her and it is quite loud, but she manages to steal herself away for a few minutes to talk to us about director Rajesh Anandaleela’s film.

Priya has been doing some interesting work in Hindi and Telugu, of late, so one wonders what about Dr 56 caught her attention. “Dr 56 is a medical thriller wherein which we have tried to give audiences a subtle message to be more aware and mindful of people like medical professionals and hospital authorities, who we trust just as much as god, perhaps, and that what you see may not be what you get from them. 99% of the time, all may be well, but there is always the chance that there could be scam or medical mafia at play that we may not know about. This film looks at one such incident that has happened in real life, which could, for all you know, still be happening in India or outside the country too. We are just trying to shine light on the fact that healthcare scams and medical mafia exist and that we need to look out for ourselves,” explains Priya, adding that the fact that it was true story appealed to her.

In the film, Priya plays an investigation officer, who is called in to look into a case that’s been assigned to her. “In the course of the investigation, the name of the character played by Praveen keeps popping up, prompting her to find out how he is connected to the case and that’s how she unravels the whole medical scam that’s been happening,” she says. Dr 56, adds Priya, was simultaneously shot in Kannada and Tamil and is, therefore, hitting theatres in both versions this Friday.

What else is happening? “I have just wrapped up work on a pan-India web series called Sarvam Shaktimayam, which deals with the 18 Mahapeetams, one of which is in Sri Lanka. I am currently a part of director Venkat Prabhu’s Tamil-Telugu bilingual with Naga Chaitanya. The project I am working on right now is still under wraps. Up for release, there’s Maidaan, as well as Salaam Venky. I have done an extended cameo in Salaam Venky, which I did for Revathy ma’am. It’s a role that is pivotal to the narrative. My Tamil film Quotation Gang is in post-production, while Khaimara has just begun, it will have to wait now, as I am off on a month-and-a-half long holiday to the US. I will be back only in early February,” says Priya, still refusing to confirm her presence in Atlee’s Shah Rukh Khan film Jawan.

Although the National Award-winning actress is among the few who continue to get a fair share of good work across films in different languages, there is no denying that the OTT space has also been good for her. The actress has been vocal about the benefits of the digital space. “Until some time ago, we only had the big OTT platforms, but now there are so many more. Earlier, producers would wonder about the satellite (TV) rights of their films, now it is more about which OTT platform will pick the digital rights. The OTT boom has also ensured that besides theatrical releases, there are movies and shows made for OTT consumption only. I think it is great because of the variety of roles that you get when making content for these platforms. You may not get that kind of choice in mainstream cinema. That apart, OTT has also ensured that actors from different parts of the country are getting recognition across the nation. The thing about OTTs is that it is not only actors who have benefitted; doors have opened for talent across board. A lot of technicians and directors who did not make the cut to make a theatrical feature are finding a foothold in streaming content. It’s nice that there are so many more opportunities out there now,” says the actress.

But isn’t working for OTT content a lot more liberating for female artistes, considering that age and relationship status can be a deterrent in pursuing a sustained career in mainstream cinema? “Age and relationship status used to be an issue earlier, no doubt, but it’s not as prevalent as it used to be. The trend where married actresses would be relegated to playing sister, sister-in-law or even mother to heroes that they romanced onscreen not long ago is swiftly being broken. Today, married actresses are going about their career with absolutely no change and are getting roles that are written exclusively for them. Yes, many of these films have female-centric subjects, but they are getting their fair share of audiences. Occasionally, they may also do a hardcore commercial film in which they are paired with a mainstream hero. The mindset of cinema audiences has changed as well and they are accepting heroines who are married also, whether it is a Nayanthara, Samantha, etc.” she reasons.