#NewsBytesExclusive: 'Showstopper' actor Digangana Suryavanshi on OTT debut and more
Bollywood actor Digangana Suryavanshi started quite young as a child actor. With over a decade-long acting career, she has created a niche for herself in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu films. She's presently working on Kannada-Tamil writer-director Pon Kumaran's Mahal, Arjun Rampal starrer The Battle of Bhima Koregaon, and web series Showstopper. In a tête-à-tête with NewsBytes, she talks about film industries and more. Excerpts.
Why hasn't 'The Battle of Bhima Koregaon' been released yet?
It is a big-budget period drama with heavy VFX involved. The COVID-19 pandemic put a long halt on the movie as the shooting was paused during it. And once the pandemic was over, we all (the entire team) signed other projects in the meantime, which made it difficult to put everything together again. However, I am hoping for the film to release soon.
How was it working with Rampal?
Arjun Rampal is a very chilled-out person to work with. When we were on the sets of The Battle of Bhima Koregaon, he would often lighten up the mood by cracking jokes. It was fun working with him on the film. I find him as a very easygoing co-star who makes sure you are comfortable and keeps the momentum light at all times.
How's Hindi film industry different from Tamil and Telugu industries?
While the procedure of making movies is the same across languages, every industry has a different work ethic. For instance, I wasn't aware of Sunday being an off day while working in the Hindi industry - be it cinema, web series, or television. It's something that the Tamil and Telugu industries introduced me to. Also, down South, people are more professional and punctual.
How have you grown as an actor over the years?
I've grown as an individual, which by default, has reflected in my professional life. It has organically impacted choosing and approaching roles. What hasn't changed is that once I have finished a project and I look back at it, I always think that I could have done this better. This adds fuel to my hunger to perform better each time.
Tell us about 'Mahal,' your experience of working with Kumaran.
Working with Kumaran has been a learning experience for me. In Mahal, I'm playing a princess, and so he helped me understand minute details such as the nativity and mannerisms of the region very well. He's very clear with what he wants to see on the screen, which made my job easy as an actor. It'll mostly be out by the end of 2023.
Throw light on your OTT debut 'Showstopper'
It's a series that has been shot largely in Indore... It revolves around a young woman who aspires to be a model and how she climbs her way up. It's a blend of a bunch of themes and is a light-hearted show that talks about goals, ambitions, and relationships. Directed by Halla Bol (assistant) director (Manish) Harishankar, it is slated to release this year.
