I keep making music on and off: Shruti Haasan on balancing acting and music careers

It's fairly common in Hollywood for actors and actresses to sing their own songs, but it has become a fad in Bollywood, only recently, with everyone from Farhan Akhtar to Alia Bhatt taking to the mic for their films.

Shruti Haasan, an alumna of the Musicians Institute, California, USA recently told a newspaper that it’s great that actors are exploring their singing talent. “I believe as an artiste, you have to be as comprehensive as you can be in whatever talent you have to show. It speaks a lot about your mental ability, which I think is great.”

The actress used to be a musician herself and was once the front woman of a band called The Extramentals. Shruti goes on to talk about the time she switched her career from being a musician to an actor. “When I entered the acting field, it took me a number of films to understand the nuances of it. Being an actor is a state of mind. You can’t just get up one day and become an actor and the same goes for a musician. Both acting and singing are jobs that require immense focus, commitment and can’t be taken lightly,” she told the paper.

The actress added that though she is busy with her film career, she continues to explore music. “I am always doing music on and off. However, it’s difficult to have a full-time career as a musician when you have a full-time career as an actor. Also, it’s about the balance (between acting and singing). I, hopefully, can do a better job (in striking the balance) of it in the years to come.”