When a beautiful story takes the priority over language, it only sets the actors to cross borders. Pooja Devariya, who is making her Kannada debut with Senna Hegde's directorial debut, Katheyondu Shuruvagide, is glad to start her Sandalwood journey with a significant role. Only a few know her connect with Karnataka. Though born and brought up in Chennai, her mother is a Kannadiga, which makes her familiar with the language. Despite knowing Kannada, Pooja's first challenge was to get the voice modulation right.
"Since the director preferred recording the dialogues at the time of filming, instead of opting to dub, it was a challenge being part of a film that was using sync sound. I am familiar with the language, though I haven't had a chance to speak too much in it," she says, adding, "To get the pronunciation and diction right, I had a tutor in addition to the director helping me. It just helped that I also have a natural flair for languages."
Her theatre background, is where Pooja learnt that practice makes one perfect. "Being a decade-old in theatre, I am well aware that there is no room for retakes. I am used to by hearting lengthy dialogues for two-hour-long plays. So much practice goes into it. I also look at films in the same way because at the end of the day, even though theatre and cinema are completely different platforms, the fundamentals remain the same. There's no doubt that I am able to face the camera confidently only because of my theatre experience," she says.
As she prepares to celebrate her 27th birthday tomorrow, Pooja says that she is able to relate to films like Katheyondu Shuruvagide that is relatable to those going through mid-life crisis or even quarter-life crisis. "This is a neat romantic comedy and doesn't involve any kind of physical intimacy. All of it is brought out through conversations and expressions," she says about the film which caters to different age groups. "While Ashwin Rao Pallakki and Shreya Anchan cater to those in their 20s, Tarun and Tanya (my character) to those in their 30s, and Aruna Balraj and Babu Hirannaiah, to the 50 plus age group," she says.
Pooja admits that she is very picky when it comes to choosing roles. Which is why even though she made her debut in 2011, her next came out in 2016, five years after her first film. The reason she didn't sign any script until her second project came by in Tamil, is because she felt none of them were worth her time. So, when Senna offered her a film of her liking, she heaved a sigh of relief. "Finally, somebody was offering me a subject that interested me," says Pooja, who adds that having gone through the different mediums of art - theatre, digital content and acting, she doesn't have a race to run.
"My big year in the film industry was 2016, when I had great stories pouring in. When Rakshit Shetty (producer of the film along with Pushkar Mallikarjunaiah referred my name for Katheyondu Shuruvagide, I was so happy," she says. At no point after signing the film, did Pooja look back. With a lively set atmosphere, and helpful cast and crew, Pooja says, "I got a chance to observe what was going on behind the scenes. There was so much emphasis on details that the director and DoP, Sreeraj Raveendran, knew each and every angle that suited the film best. Every scene was discussed before being shot. And, there was no hierarchy. Everyone's suggestions were taken into consideration," she tells us.
'I have no inhibitions'
About her on-screen chemistry with her co-star Diganth, she says that she was the first to break the ice. "I have no inhibitions to go up and speak with anybody. Though we were introduced formally, we made sure to see each other's films. From his two movies - Lifeu Ishtene and Pancharangi-- I got an idea of the kind of films he has done. Diganth also helped with my Kannada in this film," he says.
Pooja confesses on white lie
My first conversation about Katheyondu Shuruvagide with director Senna Hegde was entirely in English. After 40 minutes, he asked me whether I knew Kannada, and went on to say, 'Otherwise there is no point in having this conversation'. At that point, I said 'yes', confidently, but immediately clarified that I don't speak it on regular basis. I later got help from my grandmother and a bunch of people. I was trying to constantly talk in Kannada even in the flight. So much so, the person next to me asked me whether I was okay. Senna knew my Kannada was raw but appreciated the effort I was putting in. I had the entire script with dialogues a month-and-a-half before the film started which helped," she says.