Lockdown has not distanced Disha Madan from the camera. The actor, who has been entertaining the audience on social media by putting video compilations, has even taken responsibility of saying ‘action’ and ‘cut’. “There is this creative side to me that I always wanted to nurture, and the lockdown has allowed me to explore that area. I was off social media last year, and I wanted to come back with s videos that people can relate to. As of now, I am coming up with mother-related stuff. This comes in a flow because I sit and think of what all my mother did in college, and multiply it by 100, and make the intensity too high. It seems to work well,” says Disha, who is also in the news for her upcoming film, French Biriyani, which will be out on the OTT platform on July 24.
The film, created by PRK Productions, directed by Pannaga Bharana, features her alongside Danish Sait, Sal Yusuf and Rangayana Raghu, among others. The actor, who made a transition from TV to cinema, is all excited to make her debut with French Biriyani. “It was fun to be working with a no-brainer script, and with nothing much to think about. The film had Danny (Danish Sait), who is my good friend, and then there was Panna (Pannaga Bharana), and I said why not, and picked up this project,” says Disha, who took a little long to make her presence felt in movies.
“I did have a lot of opportunities I was working in TV serials, but I never felt that I was getting the right script, or that it was the right time. Being a Bharatanatyam dancer, I had zero experience in acting when I began, and the serial was where I had the maximum exposure. It was a great learning experience. However, I had to quit the serial a year and a half later because of my personal life. I never expected to get married or have a baby that early, it just escalated so fast, which I don’t regret,” she says.
Disha feels that she is more inclined towards playing humour-based characters. “I don’t see a lot of women doing comedy these days, and even if they do, you don’t see them much on the big screen today. They have stuck to social media and OTT platforms. Even in Kannada films, nothing much happens in the comedy scenario, especially from the female characters. Considering all this, I was interested in doing roles that will show the comic side of me. In French Biryani, the whole point of working with Danny was to bring the best out of me through him.
He encourages you to do well on screen, and so does Panna. That’s one of the reasons that attracted me to do this script. This is what I will be considering in my future projects too. I feel there is a lot of serious cinema happening now, but once in a while, you want to do something fun,” she explains.
However, she is aware that only comedy doesn’t take an actor far. “You can’t just be a comedian or a contemporary actor. An artiste should have everything under the umbrella. If my strength is comedy, that doesn’t mean I can’t do anything else. But having strength in a niche area like comedy works wonders for an actor,” she opines.
Ask her if she will never go around trees, and she chuckles, “Probably if a good script comes my way, I will do it, if it has some comedy elements too.” Throwing some light on her role in French Biriyani, in which she plays a news reporter, Disha reveals that she shot it during her initial stages of pregnancy. “I called up Panna, and explained it to him. But he was very clear and insisted that I play the part. I tried completing the entire shooting for my character before my bump showed up. This was a secret mission between Panna and me, and only a handful of people knew that I was expecting a baby. In that way, it is a very special film,” says Disha, adding, “I was lucky not to have morning sickness, though I once threw up in my caravan.
But no one knew what was happening. In a way, shooting for French Biriyani kept me physically active, which I needed during pregnancy.” After French Biriyani, Disha will be seen in the web series titled Hate You Romeo, and yet another film with Danish Sait titled Humble Politician Nograj, which will be shown on the OTT platform. With her three projects seeing a digital release, Disha’s silver screen dream is yet to come to reality. “I wouldn’t say that it is yet to happen, because these films that I am part of are quite enormous. Moreover, Amazon Prime is not less of a platform when compared to theatres. I am sure to miss the buzz of watching my film in theatres, but considering the situation, I am just going to make do with what’s happening in the comfort of home. I am equally looking forward to it with a lot of excitement,” she says. “I am an actor who loves to entertain. In the end, I want to bring smiles on people’s faces,” she signs off.
... says Disha Madan, as she talks about her debut film starring Danish Sait, and reveals that shooting for the movie when she was in initial stages of pregnancy was a “secret mission” known only to a chosen few, including director Pannaga Bharana