For Divya Pillai, who has spent over a decade building a career in Malayalam cinema, stepping into another industry isn't necessarily about chasing a bigger market. It's more about finding a role that doesn't resemble the last one.
After close to 25 films across Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu, Divya is stepping into Kannada with Halka Don, Chala's Kannada-Telugu bilingual produced by KP Sreekanth under Venus Entertainers. Starring Pramod and Amrutha Iyengar, the film also features Sai Kumar, Ramesh Indira and Jyothi Poorvaj in pivotal roles.
Oddly enough, the film also brings her back to a city where everything began. "My first-ever film, Ayal Njanalla, was shot in Bengaluru almost 11 years ago. Coming back now, for my first Kannada film, feels like I've completed a circle. The city still brings back memories from that first schedule. It feels special to return."
Divya's recent releases were Bhishmar with Gyaan Srinivasan and the Telugu film Honey opposite Naveen Chandra. She is also reuniting with Fahadh Faasil after more than a decade for another project made under Arka Mediaworks. While Kannada cinema wasn't on her checklist, she sees it as a natural next step. "I've never wanted to limit myself to one language," she says. "Every industry has a different way of telling stories. Malayalam gave me my foundation, but as an actor, you keep looking for experiences that challenge you."
That challenge arrived in the form of Halka Don. "I've mostly played de-glamorous roles in Malayalam films, and got to play serious characters in Telugu. This is a dark comedy, and what fascinated me was that my character doesn't have dialogues. Everything had to be communicated through expressions. I genuinely believe your eyes can say more than words if the moment is written well," says Divya, who shares that the role also carries a glamorous streak, which is something audiences haven't quite associated with her. "There is the oomph element, which will be my first attempt at such a role, and it isn't glamour for the sake of glamour. It's simply another colour in the character. As actors, we get typecast very easily, and I consciously look for roles that take me away from what people expect."
Interestingly, her test for choosing a script remains surprisingly simple. "I always ask myself one question. If this character disappears from the film, does the story lose something? If the answer is yes, then I know there's a reason for me to do it. That's exactly what happened with Halka Don."
With cinematography by Satya Hegde and music by V Harikrishna, Halka Don is currently under production.
