Sri Gouri Priya: I feel blessed that someone watched me in Lover and offered me a jovial role in Happy Raj | EXCLUSIVE

Sri Gouri Priya might not have done many films in Tamil, but her portrayal as a young woman Divya caught in a toxic relationship and choosing to walk away after much pressure and pain in Lover, has been one that resonated the actor most with the audience. The actor is now back to Tamil cinema with the upcoming Happy Raj, a total tonal shift to what Lover was; a fun, family entertainer starring GV Prakash in the titular character.

“I was a busy in Telugu, and listening scripts in Tamil. But as someone who prefers the performer tag over being called pretty, it makes me happy and I was looking for such roles. Finally, I landed on a project which is as good as Happy Raj,” Sri Gouri Priya says in conversation with OTTplay.

Sri Gouri Priya Interview:

While Tamil cinema once was after testosterone-high, violent action films at one point, the influx of light-hearted dramas, rom-coms and family entertainers have been taking up the space in the recent times. Speaking about this trend, the actor says, “Trends keep changing but I don’t go by that. Sometimes you might do something really good and that can get picked up. That’s the circle of industry. After doing something heavy like Lover, I wanted to explore other things. Many couldn’t even see me smile after Lover. That prompted me to take up Happy Raj, which helped me to experiment with new roles and scripts.”

How is the shift from Lover to Happy Raj?

Sri Gouri Priya is flexible actor, who talks about how a film like Lover took some time recover from it. “I was also going through a personal loss before the film started. I was in that space, and this film too was very demanding mentally. But on the other hand, when I was doing Lover, I also did Mad in Telugu, which is outright fun and colourful. I was able to manage well. But otherwise, I can quickly come out from whatever I am doing rather lingering on it,” the actor says.

Also read: Actor Abbas on Happy Raj, multi-starrers, comeback to films: I enjoy doing solo projects but haven't received good scripts back then | EXCLUSIVE

From doing a film like Lover where she is almost throughout the film to a Happy Raj which boasts a star ensemble, Sri Gouri Priya understands the assignment for each project. She mentions, “There are good films where I am just part of it, but a significant part. Happy Raj is one such film. It might not run on my completely but I am very much important, which ultimately satisfies me. Happy Raj has a lot going on, from family sentiments to fun. I felt good about the film and wanted to be part of a family entertainer because that genre has got a different pull among audience. I cannot expect all the films to run on me, but I also want to be part of meaningful projects. Happy Raj is one such film.”

Does acting differ language to language?

The actor who shuttles between Tamil and Telugu cinema says it is not industry-to-industry, but project-to-project, the approach and subtilities differ. While Telugu cinema is often called loud while Tamil demands a little more subtle version, Sri Gouri Priya says, “I have done subtle Telugu films and Happy Raj is very different metre as compared to Lover. The tonality, animated expressions are very different in Happy Raj which you cannot see in Lover. Malayalam cinema has done something like Aavesham which is outrightly loud, so it’s not industry specific but project.”

Also read: Happy Raj movie 2026: Release date, plot, OTT platform; All about GV Prakash’s romantic comedy drama

While Sri Gouri Priya is an accidental actor, even as she had some performing arts background like learning music, and participated in beauty pageants, the actor entered the industry while drifting away from her higher studies plan. Nevertheless, she feels good about the space she is right now, having learnt Tamil which is not her first language, and able to manage working in two prominent industries. Which is why Sri Gouri Priya also says that she never has far-fetched plans. “Life can turn anyway, and might not adhere to our plans. But I really want to be open. If someone who watched me in Lover, had thought over and offered me such a jovial role in Happy Raj, I am blessed. I am just open to receiving what comes my way!” After Happy Raj, Sri Gouri Priya also is part of Bro Code, a multi-starrer with Ravi Mohan, SJ Suryah, Shraddha Srinath and others. She also has some interesting projects in the line-up in Telugu, that the actor says will be unveiled soon.