Coming from theatre, Poorna values endurance over vanity, understanding that cinema is shaped on the editing table. When his 13-minute single take monologue was trimmed for pacing, he took it in stride. “When you do a 13-minute take, your ego loves it, you think, ‘what a masterclass.’ But you can’t expect audiences to watch one face for 13 minutes without cuts. Film is teamwork; you adapt to the story’s pace.” That grounded approach, he notes, comes directly from the stage. “Theatre trains you differently. Even as the lead, the moment you step offstage, you must help move a chair or place a prop. That discipline removes ego, teaching you where friendship ends, where work begins, and what lines never to cross.”
During rehearsals, director Avinash felt that Poorna tends to play with loud dialogues, while Aditi leans into quiet subtlety. Aditi looks back on their dynamic: “We read scripts together for a couple of days, but more than rehearsing, it was about getting to know each other. Poorna is very easy to work with. The dialogue flowed so naturally that we never had to force our bond.” Poorna adds, “She is being modest, but she notices everything. Avinash first saw her when she sang the ‘Bangalore Song’ for French Biriyaniand he knew she had a very fresh energy. During readings, she picked up lines easily and never missed a beat. She paints, takes abstract photos, and sees life with a poetic eye. On set, she would stay so quiet that Avinash and I wondered where she was, only for her to deliver the exact performance the moment the camera rolled.”