Sai Pallavi’s sister Pooja Kannan on her debut: My sister did not influence me to do this film

Actress Sai Pallavi’s sister Pooja Kannan, who has made her acting debut with the Tamil release Chithirai Sevvaanam (2021), says the decision to do the movie was not influenced by her sister.

Directed by stunt choreographer-turned-filmmaker Silva, Chithirai Sevvaanam was released last Friday directly on the Zee5 Tamil OTT platform.

The film, an emotional drama that explores the relationship between a father and his also stars Samuthirakani as the father. Pooja plays his daughter.

In an interview with the Cinema Express magazine, Pooja opened up on her decision to pick this film for her debut. She also clarified that Sai Pallavi did not influence her decision.

Pooja started her acting career with a short film titled Kaara, which was released in 2017. "I got a few offers but I told directors I was not done with education. Deep down, I wasn't confident enough, but yes, the perfect story did not come my way. When Chithirai Sevvaanam was narrated to me, I knew it was a great fit.

"Akka made it clear that she wouldn't interfere in my decisions. I told her the news only after signing the film,” she added.

Pooja admitted that travelling with her sister to film sets and dubbing studios did kindle her interest in becoming an actress.

“Initially, I would travel with her for fun, but slowly I have realized that cinema is my calling. I took my time to reveal it to everyone as I feared that it would invite criticism from those who would compare me with her,” she added.

One of the important plot points of the film is about cyber-sex crimes and how women deal with the issue. Pooja said: “Women should not feel ashamed. Our film shows how two different people process the same issue."