Dream come true
P.K. AJITH KUMAR
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Tête-À-tête Priyanka who stars in T.V. Chandran’s ‘Vilapangalkappuram’ speaks of her role in the movie and her career.
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No other character has touched me as much as Zahira.
Riding high on talent: Priyanka.
Priyanka has always admired director T.V. Chandran. “His movie ‘Susanna’ is one of my favourite films. I remember telling my mother what a bold director T.V. Chandran was while I was watching it again at home one day. And I wondered if I would ever get a chance to work in his film,” recalls the Thiruvananthapuram-based actor who has already earned a reputation as a talented artiste in Tamil cinema.
Barely a month after that conversation with her mother, she received a call from a production executive who asked if she would be interested in doing a film for director T.V. Chandran. Dreams do come true Priyanka realised.
Playing Zahira
Priyanka plays Zahira, a victim of the Gujarat riots who ends up in Kerala in Chandran’s ‘Vilapangalkappuram,’ which is due to reach movie halls shortly. “It’s not just the role of a life-time, it’s a role that has taught me a great deal about life,” says Priyanka.
“Zahira just refuses to leave me; even months after completing the shoot for ‘Vilapangalkappuram.’ Although I have starred in a couple of movies and television serials before, no other character has touched me as deep as Zahira. I could empathise with her as she, like me, belongs to a close-knit family and has a younger sister.
“However, I am not sure if I will ever have her resilience in the face of adversity. I have led a protected life, but this film has taught me that nobody is safe in this world; at the end of the day, you are on your own, completely,” she says.
Shooting for the film in Gujarat was an eye-opener for her. “I met many women who had come face-to-face with unspeakable horrors, but have survived and have bravely put their lives together once again,” she says.
Priyanka reveals she has worked hard on the character. “I read the script several times, internalised my character and dropped out of two Tamil films. I didn’t want to shoot for any other film during ‘Vilapangalkappuram’; that was the promise I had made to the director, who gave me the freedom to interpret the character in my own way.
“Also I had to learn to cycle in a jiffy. I had suppressed the fact that I didn’t know how to cycle because I was sure he wouldn’t cast me as Zahira as she has to ride a bicycle in a few crucial scenes,” she recalls.
While Priyanka did not have much to do in her debut film in Malayalam, ‘Kichamani MBA,’ she did make a splendid debut in Tamil with ‘Veyil.’ Her performance as a girl who takes her own life in director Vasantha Balan’s film won her rave reviews. And the well-shot song ‘Uruguthe maruguthe…,’ for the movie, in which she is she featured, ensures her constant presence on music channels.
‘Veyil’
“It was cinematographer Alagappan who got me ‘Veyil’; he had recommended me to the director. I haven’t done too many Tamil films after the success of ‘Veyil’ because I didn’t want to be slotted to glamour doll roles; I refused many such roles. I love acting and I love to act characters that have some depth and prove a challenge for me. I did enjoy my roles in ‘Tholaipesi’ and ‘Thirutham’ though.”
Priyanka is excited about her latest Tamil film, ‘Varnam Partha Seemayile.’ “It’s my best role in Tamil after ‘Veyil.’ I play a shepherdess in the film.”
Her expectations about her next Malayalam film are even higher. She will play an athlete in T.V. Chandran’s new film. “I will play a long jumper and have already spoken to a few former athletes about the training aspects. I will get a coach soon,” she adds with a smiles.
She is willing to go all out for her characters. “I have punished my body so much during shoots that it is full of patch works now! I have back pain after a bad fall and I have broken my elbow. But I never allow my injuries to interfere with a film’s shoot; that’s because I love my profession and am committed to it,” she avers.
The acting profession beckoned her while she was doing her bachelors degree in science.
“When an offer came to act in a television serial, I decided to give it a try after promising my father that I would complete my graduation on time.
I acted in a few serials, including ‘Sthreejanmam,’ ‘Sahadharmini,’ ‘Oomakuyil’ and ‘Tharattu.’ I was attracted to the stage even while studying at Kayamkulam; I used to do mono-act at school,” says Priyanka as she takes a bow.
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