I Am Excited About How My Investments Are Shaping Up: Keerthy Suresh

I’m a simple person. I love doing everyday things—like having phuchhka on the streets of Mumbai, driving and spending time with my pup, who is my stress buster. I enjoy being at home, doing nothing when I can, and hosting friends. I try to live as normally as possible, balancing everything with my work. It’s not always easy, but I make it work. Maybe it’s because I’m a Libran!

Yes, there’s definitely a sense of responsibility, especially after Mahanati. I’m doing female-driven films with meaningful messages, which adds to that pressure. Though I grew up surrounded by cinema, my parents kept things simple and grounded. My dad always told me that my career would unfold naturally, and it did. The pressure to perform never decreases—every success raises expectations. But I embrace this pressure as it motivates me to do my best.

I grew up speaking both Malayalam and Tamil at home. I learned to read and write them. Telugu was initially challenging, but I picked it up while dubbing for Mahanati and correcting mistakes on set. Kannada is on my list to learn next.

I was initially scared to take on Mahanati. It felt like too much responsibility, and I wasn’t sure if I could live up to the legacy of Savitri. It wasn’t that I didn’t love the role, but the pressure was overwhelming.

When we started filming in 2017, I had no idea how huge it was going to turn out. It was just my fourth year in the industry, and there was so much I had to learn.

When we had a private premiere, I left feeling unsure; people weren’t thrilled, and they seemed confused about the film. That left me wondering, ‘Did I do justice to Savitri’s legacy?’

However, everything changed the morning of the film's release. I went to watch it at 8am at Prasad Theatre. When the title card came up, the entire theatre erupted in applause. I got goosebumps. That’s when it hit me that this film was something special. The emotional response from the audience was overwhelming. After the screening, people came up to me in tears, congratulating me. It was such a humbling experience.

What made this even more meaningful was the reaction of my parents. They had always been very critical. Their high standards always pushed me to do better, and I am grateful for that. After Mahanati, when [filmmaker SS] Rajamouli tweeted about the film, it felt like a crowning moment. It was a turning point, not just professionally but personally as well.

Despite the film’s success, I faced a strange period after its release. It took about six months for new offers to come in. Mahanati taught me a valuable lesson: the absence of expectation can often lead to the most surprising success. I didn’t expect the film to be a massive hit. Just hoped it would do well and make my producers happy.

What Mahanati gave me was the reminder that sometimes the most genuine and unanticipated moments of success come from places you least expect. It has shaped the way I view every project and every challenge I face in my career.

I started with a very conventional form of investing—real estate. Apart from that, I invested in an app called Cookd during the first wave of Covid. It's doing really well now. This app is unique in that it helps people who don’t know anything about cooking. Most recently, I invested in a cricket team.

While this is primarily a business investment, it also brings me a lot of joy because it’s something I genuinely enjoy. This is like my other investments—the cooking app and my properties. I’m really excited about how things are shaping up.

I have so many ideas! I’m already thinking about what I can do in Mumbai. I graduated with a BA (Honours) in fashion design from Pearl Academy in Chennai. So, fashion is something I’ll explore eventually. I’m also starting a trust. Over the years, I’ve been involved in a lot of charitable activities. After 10 years, I realised it’s time to organise my efforts so that people can easily reach out to me for help.

Additionally, I’m starting something for pets. As pet parents, we always want the best for our pets.

There is Kalees’ Baby John with Varun Dhawan, Jackie Shroff and Wamiqa Gabi. It is slated to be released this month.