Southern actress Shriya Saran celebrates 30th birthday in Toronto

Shriya Saran is attending the film festival for the premiere of Deepa Mehta’s upcoming Hollywood film based on Salman Rushdie’s novel Midnight’s Children. Saran plays a pivotal character in the film.

Mehta’s film also titled Midnight’s Children, is based on Rushdie’s 1981 Booker Prize novel and is scheduled for an October release in the US.

The film features an ensemble cast including Saran, Satya Bhabha, Rahul Bose, Soha Ali Khan, Siddharth Narayan, Anupam Kher, Darsheel Safary, Anita Majumdar and Seema Biswas among others.

Author Rushdie worked closely with Mehta on its screenplay. The film, predominantly shot in Sri Lanka, features the country’s colonial residential architecture and vintage cars.

Shriya Saran plays the character Parvati. Midnight’s Children tracks the life of the narrator Saleem Sinai (played by Satya Bhabha) born at the exact moment of India’s Independence. It talks about the magical powers all children born at the time of Indian Independence have. Saleem and Parvati (Saran) are two such children with notable gifts and roles in Saleem's story.

This is Saran’s second Hollywood project after her role in 2008 romantic comedy called The Other End of the Line opposite Jesse Metcalfe. She has also appeared in a brief role in 2009 English film Cooking with Stella, also directed by Mehta.

From Toronto, Saran will go to Tokyo where her Tamil film with superstar Rajinikanth – Sivaji – will be showcased in 3D. Saran and Rajinikanth’s Sivaji which released in 2007 was one of the highest grossing film of that year.

She debuted in Indian cinema in 2001 with Telugu film Ishtam but achieved fame with her 2002 film Santhosham. She has been part of popular films in south India including Kanthaswamy, Pokkiri Raja, Thoranai and Rowthiram and has won awards for many of these roles.

In addition to the upcoming film, Midnight’s Children, Shriya Saran will be seen in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi film scheduled for a release in 2012 and 2013.

Here’s wishing the talented actress and trained dancer a very Happy Birthday!