Here's how Druvan would have almost given up on his role of Queen

Mumbai: Druvan is one more in the long line of actors setting out to achieve his dreams. He is aware of the struggle on the road ahead and knows there is no one to welcome him with open arms at the exalted gates of tinsel town. But what he does have is the patience and tenacity to cling on to his dreams, no matter what.

He played the odds and hedged his bets when he decided to take up the lead role in the film 'Queen', directed by Dijo Jose Antony, which has a bunch of other newcomers playing prominent roles. This dark horse is slowly trotting its way to the box-office finish line and Druvan cannot be happier that his hard work and struggle have paid off. Druvan had earlier done a role in the Mohanlal-starrer '1971- Beyond Borders'.

For a lot of newcomers without any godfathers, auditions are the best bet to seek an entry into cinema. Druvan too has made the rounds of countless ones and it was such an audition for 'Queen' that caught his eye. “I was completely unwell that day and was planning to go home but then I thought since I had applied, I might as well give it a try.” He made the right decision. There were ten rounds of auditions before he got the role. “I was very excited when I realised it was a prominent role because I had expected a small one.” 'Queen' revolves around a girl who joins the Mechanical Engineering course in her second year. It is a campus film but has a thriller element. Druvan plays the role of Balu, who goes through a gamut of emotions and needs just a small trigger to let his fists do the talking.

There was another challenge — he had three different looks in the film. “The looks from the first year of college to the fourth year are shown. The first year has me in a clean-shaven look and by the fourth year I have a beard. There is also a look in a flashback scene.” For Druvan, this role has come like a shot in the arm — being a substantial one. The off-camera shoot too was a lot of fun as he jests, “I studied art but by the end of the film, I felt I had finished my engineering course without the certificate.” Working with other newcomers had its merits. “We could give inputs to each other and help one another”, he says.

In a field where competition is intense and star value still takes precedence, he knows the going is tough. He opines, “What I find really useful is the slew of auditions, which is a boon to newcomers.” At the same time, he also cautions against fake auditions and stresses on being careful. “As far as I am concerned, acting is a passion and I will do even a small role just for the happiness of acting,” he adds.