NYIFF, my first international experience: Pooja Devariya

She’s clear about what she wants to do and is very good at what she does — that’s Pooja Devariya for you. This prominent theatre personality has come a long way after making her foray into Kollywood with Selvaraghavan’s Mayakkam Enna. Her yet-to-be released film, Kuttrame Thandanai has been creating a buzz even before its release — after being screened in a couple of film festivals in India, the movie is all set to feature at the New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF), which Pooja will also attend.

She speaks to DC about her excitement in participating in an international festival, about how her profession lets her travel, and her future projects.
“Though I’ve participated in a few festivals in India, NYIFF will be my first international experience. I’m super excited about it,” starts Pooja. She adds, “Apart from the tremendous exposure, such events also fulfil my love for travelling. I’m happy that I’m in a field that enables me to do this.”

Coming back to her role in the film, she says, “The moment director Manikandan narrated the script, I knew that my character was very well defined, and wanted to be a part of the film. I play the role of a strong and independent girl from a middle-class background.” When we queried if her portraying female-oriented roles in her films is a conscious choice, she explains, “When I entered the film industry six years ago, my ambition was to feature in movies which had significant roles for me. Though there was a lull after Mayakkam Enna, the offers I’ve been getting recently are the ones that I expect. In that way, I’m lucky.”

Pooja, who’s eagerly awaiting the release of Iraivi, is also acting in a handful of interesting projects including Mo, Vallavanukku Vallavan, Chinnadha Oru Padam and Aandavan Kattalai. “Though I can’t reveal much about Iraivi, I can say that it will have similarities to my role in Kuttrame... With Aanadavan Kattalai, I’m teaming up with both Vijay Sethupathi and Manikandan for the second time! So, our comfort level is even better now. The other three movies are also intriguing in their own ways. This is perhaps my best phase in my film career,” she signs off.