Butterfly-ing her way into films

Influenced by her father, a musician and her aunt, a dancer, it was only natural she would shine at both the arts. A Bharatanatyam dancer, she also plays the Veena and was far removed from the world of acting, at least as a full-time profession till opportunity knocked. Deepika, who is popularly known as ‘Dhanya’, the character she has been portraying for three years now in the teleserial Kulavadhu, previously worked as an HR recruiter in an MNC. The actress, who has a huge fan following on the small screen, will soon shine as a heroine in her debut Kannada film Nan Magale Heroine. She is also busy with another colourful Kannada film titled Chitte (meaning butterfly in Kannada), where she essays the role of a cute devil. She talks about being ‘Dhanya’, and how she has embraced her role as a heroine!

“I am basically a Bharatanatyam dancer and a musician. I learnt music and the basics of dance from my father Ananda Kumar, and later learnt dance from my aunt Kumidhini. Before making my serial debut in Kulavadhu, I worked in an MNC company as an HR recruiter. However, it was never my cup of tea, as working from 9 to 5 pm, especially sitting in front of the system for an entire day seemed very monotonous. A friend advised me to try auditioning for the serial and I gave it a shot. And the next day, I was selected. I simply couldn’t believe it, and thought it was a joke. But, I am glad, it was not a joke, and my beautiful journey as an actress started, and it has been three years,” says Deepika.

Apart from her only serial — Kulavadhu, which ranks as one of the top five serials at present in Kannada TV, the actress is set to make her debut in Kannada films with two films in her kitty of which Nan Magale Heroine is ready for release.

Talking about her silver screen experiences, Deepika feels fortunate to have worked with senior actors including national award winning actor Sanchari Vijay.

“The film is beyond an experimental movie, as it has satire with lots of fun. I enjoyed every bit of portraying the daughter of a producer aspiring to become a heroine. The character has two humorous shades. Not many are aware about my depth of character, they realise later but have no choice but to cast her as a heroine. It was challenging too, as I had to learn to stammer. Working with Vijay sir was wonderful. He is down to earth and treats every artiste with equal respect, irrespective of their background and experience. It was a great learning experience,” she says.

As ‘Dhanya’, Deepika feels the role will always remain special to her as people recognise her as ‘Dhanya’. “For the serial, we shoot for long hours, and sometimes even overnight, but none of us have lost the zeal to play the same characters, again and again. We reach the audience daily, and they treat us like family. I cannot thank them enough for their endless love and appreciation,” says the actress before flying away like a pretty butterfly for her role in Chitte which is being directed by Prasanna.