Actress Delbar Arya, who is currently enjoying much-celebrated recognition for her performances, gets candid with The Pioneer, sharing some interesting deets about her character, working with an ensemble cast, and more.
SHIKHA DUGGAL
Actress Delbar Arya is reaching new heights with her spectacular performances in the ‘Pollywood’ industry. Do you not believe us? Oh, come on! The actress recently surpassed all records by finishing her forthcoming Punjabi film, Damdaa, in just 23 days. This is, of course, wonderful news for all Delbar fans who have been waiting to see her in film for a long time. A tiny birdie from the industry has informed us of this.
Not only that, but after achieving enormous recognition for her role with Guru Randhawa in Downtown, the amazing actress is going to star in Punjabi ace artist Singga’s new forthcoming single, Shadow 2, too. Oops, we have more for you. The actress is believed to be in talks with the producers of Bigg Boss OTT for the forthcoming season as well. How could we pass up an exclusive interview with the actress, who is buzzing like a bee around town?
In our chat with her, she continues to disclose, “I can easily relate to my character in the movie and my own real-life experiences. I mean, she’s compassionate, naive, and responsible, but what a difficulty it was for me to portray a rural girl who is, you know, playing a character from 1980. And since I have never lived in a village, it was quite interesting for me to play that role and experience it. It was a unique experience that kept me grounded. So all of these minor details, living as a village girl, have taught me that one can be happy with the smallest things in life.”
So that was an interesting component for her while doing Damdaa, but also tough, so that she could understand the body language and feel like she was playing a country girl. That was both tough and amazing!
She continues, “My director never gets impatient. He continues to explain whenever I or my character require additional clarification in a scene. And I’m extremely pleased to have worked with him. He’s a very kind person. I had rehearsals with the writer one day before the shoot, and he explained the character to me well. He also assisted me with the pronunciation of my dialogue. That provided me with a lot more clarity when I started shooting on set. And that gave me a sense of confidence.” So, how has it impacted others to represent the character? “I guess they were impressed with my acting and performance (she giggles).”
Working with an ensemble cast, how cheerful was the atmosphere? The actress spills the beans: “I mean, the cast was so supportive and at the same time so much pleasure to work with. We’ve laughed every day on set. We haven’t gone a day without laughing. Bohot maza aaya (Had a lot of fun). And the most unforgettable: there were many recollections, but there was one scene where Babar was playing another character in the family. He is the eldest son in the family. So he’s seated in a wheelchair, and when he wants to depart, his wife, who plays Dilraj, has to push him away. And the wheelchair became trapped. So it was simply not moving. And while we tried not to laugh, it was simply too amusing. We all burst out laughing. It was an extremely humorous and memorable experience. I also have that video, and I keep viewing it since it was so amusing.”
As previously stated, the character has presented a positive challenge. Also, it was her first time playing a country girl. And especially those who are married and care for their families are in charge of the household. And of course, “What pushed me out of my comfort zone was the language, because it’s not even casual Punjabi; it’s Pind ki Punjabi. So it seemed like I had to push myself, get out of my comfort zone, and learn the accent. The intonation and pronunciation! So it was quiet, and I used to be quite stressed on set, but everyone was so supportive of me that they all made me feel comfortable. And in the end, I succeeded, which makes me extremely happy.” They had an extremely tight schedule. They had to finish the shooting in one go. But, despite the tight, demanding schedule, they had a lot of fun. As a result, it has developed into a family environment. At the same time, they are editing on set, and they keep showing the actress the edits, which look just wonderful. That’s how the dynamics evolved on the sets of her most recent film!
She prefers to work on projects where she has an influence, an impacting role, or a character because she comes from a theater background, and she always ensures that whatever project she works on has a high level of performance! And, as she already stated, it must make an impact on the audience. She continues, “So I’m excited to discover more diverse characters. I enjoy playing different characters because, in real life, we are not our true selves, so movies, of course, allow us to play different roles and characters and immerse ourselves in those people and personalities that we are not in real life. That is really essential to me.”
In reality, she enjoys Indian movies, whether it is Bollywood, Punjabi, or South Indian cinema. According to her, “All of them are ek jaise and challenging toh nahi bolungi (Similar, I wouldn’t say challenging). However, each regional cinema has its own distinct culture. So, learning and experiencing these many cultures is quite interesting to me, and I enjoy it. So, yes, I face challenges, but I also find delight almost everywhere.”
Meanwhile, on the work front, she says, “Yes, there are multiple projects planned for this year, as well as numerous other projects. So the following would be two music videos. One has Pratik Sehajpal and vocals by Stebin Ben, and the song is titled Kaabil. And my other, second, music video is for Shadow 2, which features singer Singga. He had recorded a song called Shadow, and we shot Shadow part two. That is also set to be released. And yes, I am looking forward to more Punjabi ventures, mainly, movies. You will find out about it as soon as everything is finalised and we can share it.”
