It's actor Sai Pallavi's birthday on May 9. Though she has done only a handful of films so far, Sai Pallavi has stormed into the south Indian film industries, quickly becoming a much sought-after actor. And it's not difficult to see why if you've followed her career after her sensational debut with Premam in 2015.
Here are five reasons why fans can't get enough of Sai Pallavi.
1. She can act: That should be a given if you're in the film industry, but it's sadly not so. If she played a sensible teacher in Premam, in Kali, her second Malayalam film, she played Anjali, a young woman on a nightmarish road trip with her husband. She can't drive but is forced to get behind the wheel when she's trapped by a goon. Anjali's screams and her terrified face will push you to the edge of your seat as Sai Pallavi relentlessly builds up the fear.
2. She dubs for herself: Not only can Sai Pallavi pull off any expression or emotion on her face, she also dubs for herself across languages. This makes her performances even more authentic. In Fidaa, her first Telugu film, she played the spirited Bhanumathi who is conflicted about her feelings for Varun, an NRI. The film rested on Bhanumathi's quick tongue and effervescence to carry the narrative forward. The Telangana dialect that rolled off her tongue effortlessly also won her praise.
3. She has great screen presence: Even if she isn't doing much in a scene, Sai Pallavi leaves a mark. The actor knows when to be subtle and when to give into the character's emotions. It's difficult to single out a moment from Premam that stands out because everything about Malar Miss was so refreshingly original, but here's an example of Sai Pallavi's screen presence. Towards the end, Malar Miss appears one last time to attend George's (Nivin Pauly) wedding with Celine (Madonna Sebastian). Sai Pallavi barely has any dialogue, but that simple gesture of telling George that he looks "super" with his bride, makes our heart ache.
4. She can do action scenes: That's right. Athiran may not have been a big hit, but Sai Pallavi showed off her ability to do action scenes in the film, playing a disturbed young woman who learns kalari. In this scene, Sai Pallavi displays her kalari skills but remains true to her character, Nithya. With her flexible body and screen presence, it would be great to see Sai Pallavi in more films where directors explore this skill.
5. She can dance: Duhh. Who did not know that about Sai Pallavi? Apart from her smash hit 'Rowdy Baby' , there are several other songs where Sai Pallavi has set the dance floor on fire. Here's the 'Yevandoi Nani Garu' song from MCA which is another favourite with fans. It's not just her moves, but all the small actions she does with the steps that makes us glued to her dance.