She made her debut with a Hindi film and went to do several South Indian movies but actress Shruti Haasan says she does not play by the rules of Bollywood. Imran Khan starrer 'Luck' marked her first big screen appearance in 2009, which did not do well at the box office.
The actress then went on to win critical acclaim for her role in the 2011 Telugu film 'Anaganaga O Dheerudu' followed by her Tamil debut '7aum Arivu' the same year.
"I made my debut in Hindi but it took that turn, for whatever reasons. It really wasn't planned. Whenever I've worked here, I've enjoyed it. But it (Bollywood) is a different mindset, different set of rules. I've never played by those rules," said Shruti. Post her Bollywood debut, the 30-year-old actress did do more Hindi films like 'Ramaiya Vastavaiya', 'D Day' and 'Gabbar Is Back' but says she has predominantly focused more on South Indian films.
When asked if Bollywood directors haven't tapped her full potential yet, Shruti said, "I do feel that, but I also think you can't say 'it's because of this or that'. I think predominantly I've focused more on the South than Bollywood. I'll be honest about it."
"But in Hindi films, be it 'D Day' or 'Welcome Back', there is nothing in common. Even in South my trajectory has been like that because I am a person who needs change. If it's something interesting, something which I've never done, I'll do it," the actress added Shruti explains that to do more Bollywood films one has to spend a lot of time in Mumbai.
"Mumbai is also kind of place which I've realised is, it is a lot more important to be here as much as you can. Which I never am, at any place, at any point.
If you go to South they're like 'but you are always in Mumbai'.” "When I go to Hyderabad they're like 'You are always in Chennai'. I always wanted to be Pan-India and these are the fall backs of being one," she added.