Shaitan and Save the Tigers fame Deviyani expressed that filmmakers in Telugu need to provide newcomers with an opportunity and not just go with big names. She also feels that there is a lot that Telugu filmmakers can learn from Malayalam filmmakers in this exclusive interview with The Pioneer.
K. Ramya Sree
Save the Tigers 2 started premiering on Disney+Hotstar, and the show has already received a great response.
As truly said by Deviyani Sharma, one of the lead actresses from the show, it is double the entertainment and double the drama.
The actress has proven her mettle in Shaitan and in the Save the Tigers franchise. Her roles in all three shows were different from one another—in Shaitan, she goes completely de-glam and plays a village belle; in Save the Tigers 1, she plays a dominant woman; but in Season 2, she completely mellows down. “I go on a realisation trip in season 2 that I have to take care of the family and the responsibilities. My transformation as a character can be seen as evidently not being too bossy. It’s a completely 360-degree flip in characterisation,” shared the actress in an exclusive conversation with The Pioneer.
She further added that for season 2, all the stars in the show became comfortable with one another, and the outdoor episode, according to her, was the most fun for her. “Save the Tigers set has become home to us. It was like going back to our family.”
When we last interviewed her, she was very new to the industry; now, despite gaining some experience, she still feels new to the industry. She explains, “Everyday is a learning day. There are disappointments, and there are moments when I am happy. I think that is part of the actor’s life.”
She had two back-to-back hits last year: Shaitan and Save the Tigers. And with Shaitan, she proved that she is not just an actress but a true performer. Deviyani, who is very open to challenging roles, shared, “I am very open to doing more good cinema and challenging roles. Last year was amazing; this year I have had one release, which I am a little disappointed about, but this year I am looking forward to doing more films. I want to make my debut in movies, too. I am also open to good cinema now.”
Furthermore, the actress expressed her disappointment towards filmmakers for not really hunting for good talent. She asserted, “Filmmakers need to realise that there is an actor (me) that exists. Everybody wants to work with big names; nobody wants to bet on new people. So being hired for a project is not in my hands; doing the best in the work I get is in my hands, but they have to visualise me and visualise that I am capable of playing that role. I am waiting for that change to come, and I feel that it is very important for filmmakers to understand that there are actors who can perform and who are looking for good work. There are actors like me who are looking for work. It becomes very disappointing that even after doing two good projects, you are not being roped in or called in for such projects, and you begin to doubt yourself. But all said and done, it is not just the actor’s fault, because “taali dono hatho se bajti hai” (it takes two to end up having a quarrel). Equal opportunities must be given to all actors.”
She also expressed that it gets upsetting when only glamour is always chosen. She feels all crafts of art must be explored, and one cannot hold on to glamour for too long. “I am not against the fact that people are still following the monotonous style of filmmaking, but the new-age cinema that’s coming needs performers. I am hopeful that it will change and actors like me get more work.”
The actress is also planning to explore other languages in cinema. She shared, “I love Malayalam cinema. I love how they utilise their actors, which is something that Telugu cinema has to cope with, and I am definitely looking forward to making my debut in other languages. Talks are going on, but nothing has been finalised.”
After all that she has said, the actress shared that she is looking forward to performance-oriented and meaty characters, but she can also add glamour if the film needs it. “I can pull off both, but what we are looking for is the trust of filmmakers to bet on us.”
Deviyani lastly tipped off that they are looking forward to making Save the Tigers a franchise, and I think it will be good for all of us. “I think there will be a franchise for season 3, depending on the success ratio of season 2. There is no confirmation about it so far,” concluded the young bunch of talent.
Save the Tigers 2 started premiering on Disney+Hotstar, and the show has already received a great response.
As truly said by Deviyani Sharma, one of the lead actresses from the show, it is double the entertainment and double the drama.
The actress has proven her mettle in Shaitan and in the Save the Tigers franchise. Her roles in all three shows were different from one another—in Shaitan, she goes completely de-glam and plays a village belle; in Save the Tigers 1, she plays a dominant woman; but in Season 2, she completely mellows down. “I go on a realisation trip in season 2 that I have to take care of the family and the responsibilities. My transformation as a character can be seen as evidently not being too bossy. It’s a completely 360-degree flip in characterisation,” shared the actress in an exclusive conversation with The Pioneer.
She further added that for season 2, all the stars in the show became comfortable with one another, and the outdoor episode, according to her, was the most fun for her. “Save the Tigers set has become home to us. It was like going back to our family.”
When we last interviewed her, she was very new to the industry; now, despite gaining some experience, she still feels new to the industry. She explains, “Everyday is a learning day. There are disappointments, and there are moments when I am happy. I think that is part of the actor’s life.”
She had two back-to-back hits last year: Shaitan and Save the Tigers. And with Shaitan, she proved that she is not just an actress but a true performer. Deviyani, who is very open to challenging roles, shared, “I am very open to doing more good cinema and challenging roles. Last year was amazing; this year I have had one release, which I am a little disappointed about, but this year I am looking forward to doing more films. I want to make my debut in movies, too. I am also open to good cinema now.”
Furthermore, the actress expressed her disappointment towards filmmakers for not really hunting for good talent. She asserted, “Filmmakers need to realise that there is an actor (me) that exists. Everybody wants to work with big names; nobody wants to bet on new people. So being hired for a project is not in my hands; doing the best in the work I get is in my hands, but they have to visualise me and visualise that I am capable of playing that role. I am waiting for that change to come, and I feel that it is very important for filmmakers to understand that there are actors who can perform and who are looking for good work. There are actors like me who are looking for work. It becomes very disappointing that even after doing two good projects, you are not being roped in or called in for such projects, and you begin to doubt yourself. But all said and done, it is not just the actor’s fault, because “taali dono hatho se bajti hai” (it takes two to end up having a quarrel). Equal opportunities must be given to all actors.”
She also expressed that it gets upsetting when only glamour is always chosen. She feels all crafts of art must be explored, and one cannot hold on to glamour for too long. “I am not against the fact that people are still following the monotonous style of filmmaking, but the new-age cinema that’s coming needs performers. I am hopeful that it will change and actors like me get more work.”
The actress is also planning to explore other languages in cinema. She shared, “I love Malayalam cinema. I love how they utilise their actors, which is something that Telugu cinema has to cope with, and I am definitely looking forward to making my debut in other languages. Talks are going on, but nothing has been finalised.”
After all that she has said, the actress shared that she is looking forward to performance-oriented and meaty characters, but she can also add glamour if the film needs it. “I can pull off both, but what we are looking for is the trust of filmmakers to bet on us.”
Deviyani lastly tipped off that they are looking forward to making Save the Tigers a franchise, and I think it will be good for all of us. “I think there will be a franchise for season 3, depending on the success ratio of season 2. There is no confirmation about it so far,” concluded the young bunch of talent.
