Akshara Haasan, the younger daughter of veteran actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan and National award-winning actress Sarika, says that though as a child she was highly influenced by her parents, she was always encouraged to have her own identity and become the best version of herself.
Talking about the influence of parents, Akshara told IANS here: "Both my parents have quite a strong and influential personality. It is then obvious to get impacted by their thoughts and of course as children, me and my sister (actress Shruti Haasan) were so influenced by our parents.
"But we were always encouraged to develop our own identities. We were given the freedom to become the best version of ourselves instead of taking their legacy as a liability.
"I always loved dancing and I am doing that... I like the process of filmmaking as well as acting. So, I am doing that as well... Nothing is forced on me," added the actress, who recently appeared in a short film titled "Joyride".
Meanwhile, Akshara is exploring different film industries in the country. She has acted in Tamil films like "Vivegam" and "Kadaram Kondan". In Bollywood, she shared screen space with Amitabh Bachchan and Dhanush in the film "Shamitabh". She also acted in "Laali Ki Shaadi Mein Laaddoo Deewana".
"After 'Shamitabh', I did another film which did not work well at the box office... Failure is a part of building my career and I think it is good that such things are happening at the beginning of my journey. I got a chance to reassess my craft and I also took a professional acting course that taught me some important things," she said.
"Growing up with two powerhouses of talent - my mom and dad - I have seen how they worked on good stories. My father not only made interesting films, he always picked quirky characters. My mind and thought process have developed in a certain way which are different from others. So my understanding of cinema is different," added Akshara.
Asked what kind opportunities she is looking forward to, she said: "I think the best change that has happened is well-written nuanced characters. The kind of roles that are written these days for women are more to emphasise on the humane side of an individual that goes beyond gender. It should be encouraged so that we as performers can bring new things to the table."
"I am physically very strong and I am interested in action films. I want to explore that genre and make my mark there," she said.