Waiting for a strong re-entry in Tamil cinema after starring in films like Vellore Maavattam and Savarakathiactor Shamna Kasim, aka Purnaa, says she couldn’t think of anything else when she was requested to dance for a Rajinikanth film. “I don’t think one would say ‘no, I am waiting for a strong script’ when you are offered a Rajini sir film, even if it’s a special number like ‘Bolero Way‘,” she says as she went on to add that she always wanted to be recognised as a dancer and films were not on the cards in the first place. “Cinema was an accident to me. Having trained in dance forms like Bharatanatyam and Mohiniyattam, dance has always been my passion. Teaching dance was the vocation I was planning for. So even in terms of importance, to me dance comes first.”

Opening up about how ‘Bolero Way‘ happened, Shamna shares that ‘Kurchi Madathapetti‘ led to it, and she was in disbelief for a long time. “For some time I thought it was a prank call from someone. Once I was able to confirm this, I was overjoyed and didn’t know who to tell first. I was finalised by Jailer 2 makers after ‘Kurchi Madathapetti,'” she shares, as she recalls her anxiety while shooting for the Guntur Kaaram song. “The song was shot five months after my son was born, so I was on the heavier side and thought I would be trolled for the song. Never did I expect to get a spotlight in a song that features two power-packed dancers like Mahesh Babu and Sreeleela. Not only was I noticed, but I also landed a Rajini sir film,” says a smiling Shamna, sharing a personal anecdote about her two hit songs. “I think my kids are my lucky charms. For all the anxieties I had, I feel the appreciation I received was due to my newborn son. Interestingly, when I was performing for ‘Bolero Way‘ I was actually five days expectant, but I didn’t know that. So I think my children are my lucky charms.”

Calling director Nelson a taskmaster, Shamna says he kept pushing her to achieve her best on the sets. “A dance number is generally a collaborative effort between the dancers and choreographers, and the directors too leave it to them. But Nelson was completely involved in the song process and kept correcting expressions. He used to tell me, ‘madam, dance well but don’t let the grace drop’. When the shot is taking place, he used to tell in the microphone ‘grace, grace’. It is interesting to work on a dance number where the director is involved,” she remarks, as she confesses it was challenging to detach from the star-struck mindset to perform well. “Knowing that I will be sharing the screen with Rajini sir, I was already floating in the air. During the shoot break, he took time to come to me and compliment me, saying I have powerful eyes. I was overjoyed.”