JOIN US‘It was difficult to detach from the character’
Posters of Priyanka Upendra starrer 'Devaki' portray fear, struggle and a sense of helplessness. Set in Kolkata, its script revolves around real incidents involving child trafficking. Does a mother lose her daughter to child traffickers? Will the child be rescued and will the racket be busted? These are just some of the questions that beg for an answer.
In a quick chat with Metrolife, Priyanka Upendra talks about the making of the film and why the character stayed with her longer than expected.
What made you accept 'Devaki'?
This is an original script that is based on real incidents that happened in Kolkata. It is a performance-oriented character and I could totally relate to the script and the emotions that came with it.
What was the tough part about playing Devaki?
The film also has my daughter Aishwarya making her debut in the Kannada film industry. The scenes, involving a mother and daughter, came naturally to me but they were pretty intense because of the situations they were shot in.
Would you call it an emotionally-intense film?
Yes, it is. The emotions are not consistent throughout. There is a graph that goes up and down. It was important to maintain that momentum. The character stayed with me long after we shot. We shot for 36 days at a stretch and I was in the same outfit. I must add here that it was difficult for me to disengage from the character. Aishwarya, on the other hand, was pretty detached from everything.
How did Aishwarya react to the script and the scenes?
I didn't tell her the whole story because it would frighten her. We shot her portion scene to scene, without revealing the whole script because it is quite an intense subject.
On working with Lohith...
This is my second film with Lohith after 'Mummy'. He and I share a good rapport. We thrashed out our ideas and worked on the script together. It took us six months to finalise it.