Divyansha Kaushik is nervous but nevertheless excited about the release of her debut movie Majili which will be hitting the screens on April 5. The Delhi girl, who is debuting as Naga Chaitanya’s childhood sweetheart in the movie, says that the role is a dream come true for someone, who only a year and a half back, was scrolling up and down her Instagram feed, eyes fixed on the beautiful wedding pictures of Chai-Sam.
“I have been a fan of the couple and have watched Ye Maya Chesave so many times over. Chai-Sam as a couple is quite popular in the north, too. Once their stunning wedding pictures started appearing all over the internet, I shared the pictures with my mom and told her how good the photographer was and that even I would do something similar for my wedding. But never did I imagine that I would debut with the same couple, people who are already such big names in the industry,” Divyansha says.
Majili is director Shiva Nirvana’s second movie after the success of Ninnu Korri, starring Nani and Nivetha Thomas, in 2017. Divayansha explains what made her choose Majili to be her debut film, far away from Bollywood.
“Shiva read out the script to me in English, first when I was in Mumbai and second when I was in Hyderabad for an audition. He read it out with so much of emotion and humour that even before I had clarity on what my role in the film would be, there were no doubts on coming on board the film,” says Divyansha.
The actor says she has been a fan of Nagarjuna, Vijay Deverakonda and Naga Chaitanya among others from the industry, but confesses that apart from Baahubali and a few other films, she has never been an avid fan of south Indian cinema.
“I was skeptical when I joined the sets of Majili, not on the acting front but since Tamil and Telugu are languages about which I was clueless. But Shiva, as a director, gives a lot of liberty to the actors on set. He explains the scene, conveys the vibe and then leaves it all up to the actors on how to perform the same in front of the camera. Initially, I used to be scared about how I am supposed to do it but I gradually realised that’s the best way to bring out the organic actor in you,” says Divyansha, adding, “The day I introduced myself as Divyansha to Shiva, he picked the last part and called me Anshu. Co-incidentally, my character in the movie is also called Anshu.”
Born and brought up in Delhi, Divyansha says she always wanted to be an actor after she first watched Kareena Kapoor as Poo in Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham.
“For a long time, Poo was my future. From Poo in K3G, I later decided I wanted to be a journalist, and for a brief time, I aspired to be the editor of the Vogue magazine,” the actor laughs, adding, “After I completed my degree in English, my mother, who is a make-up artiste in Bollywood, suggested that I get into make-up as she was already there. Since she was close to people from the industry, many suggested that I should try a career in films. I was skeptical because I am a foodie and at that point had put on almost 20 kilos, so acting was nowhere near any of my career options."
Divyansha later did a course in make-up in London and it was at a meeting with Rani Mukerji, during the shoot of Hichki, that she got a push from the actor to pursue a career in acting. “Things moved quite fast from there,” Divyansha says.
The expectations are quite high on the release of Majili, Chai-Sam’s first movie post-wedding.
“I was in Hyderabad for a movie discussion and was quite excited to meet Chaitanya. I met the actor and even before we could discuss our roles, Chaitanya said that the movie is very special for Chai-Sam because it’s their first movie together after their wedding. And this stuck to my mind throughout the shoot of the film. While Majili marks my debut in the film industry, for each person in the film, it’s special in their own ways,” Divyansha says.
After finishing the shoot for Majili, Divyansha is currently busy wrapping up her Tamil debut with actor Siddharth.
“With Siddharth, it’s a full on commercial movie in Tamil. There is so much action, romance, comedy and all those elements you can find in an absolute entertainer. I began shooting for the Tamil movie first, so learning Telugu was a cakewalk for me. Tamil as a language is really difficult to learn, so much so that being on the sets of Majili I was quickly able to grasp whatever was happening around me,” Divyansha shares.
Acting with two big names in the southern industry, Divyansha says that the two actors are two different personalities while working on movie sets.
“Siddharth is a very senior and wise actor. He will guide you while on sets and is very proficient as an actor. But Chaitanya is more like a friend. He is fun and easy-going and makes you feel very comfortable, no matter you be a debutant or a senior in the industry,” she adds.
With Majili hitting the screens in less than two weeks, Divyansha says her dream is to act under none other than Rajamouli, the Baahubali director.
“I would like to be part of films that give depth to characters. Even in Majili, though my character has comparatively less screen time, the emotions conveyed in the short span of time take the audience on a roller coaster ride. It’s a character that would touch hearts. And of course, I have been a fan of the Baahubali series, and working with Rajamouli sir will be a dream come true. Anyone could dream, so why not dream big?” Divyansha signs off.