An inspiring debut

After watching the movie Kamuki, one character that lingers in mind would be ‘Lakshmi,’ mother of the central character ‘Hari,’ a blind college student. Mother has a space in Hari's life. It is she who instils confidence in him and teaches him to overcome his disability through the power of the mind. Deepa Kartha, a Kathak and Bharatanatyam dancer, who enlivened the character, says she feels happy to debut in such an inspiring role.

“The offer came through my friend, who is also my student. Director Binu was looking for a person who has got a traditional look for this role. My friend suggested me. He called me and briefed the character. I felt it as an important one and hence decided to give it a shot,” says Deepa, sitting at her apartment in Kochi. 

A mother in real life, she didn't do any homework for the character. “That feeling is there in my mind,” she says. She just had to bring the pace of cinematic acting. “Acting in dance and cinema are different. In dance, it is loud, whereas in cinema it is subtle and natural. I just brought that change. Everyone on the sets was really supportive. So, I had a good time. Later, when I watched me on the big screen, I realised where all I could have improved my performance. I have kept them in my mind and will rectify in future ventures,” she chuckles.

A few other offers are under discussion and she says she would continue acting is she gets meaty roles. 

She is in no hurry because she believes everything happens at the right time. Because, acting, her dream during college days, came true now. “I did my graduation in Mathematics at Maharaja's College, Ernakulam. I was a regular at youth fests and film personalities like Aashiq Abu, Amal Neerad, Sameer Thahir were my seniors on the campus. They all thought I would reach cinema first, but it happened otherwise. There were movie offers during college days, but I chose dance over cinema. And, I gradually left that dream. But then Kamuki came knocking on my door repeatedly and I decided to do it,” says Deepa reminiscing those days. “But, I don't regret rejecting the roles back then. I used that time to deepen my knowledge in dance. I am happy about it,” she signs off.