Divyadisha Mohanty is barely a few films old but is making waves, thanks to her electrifying screen presence. Having made her debut opposite Odia superstar Babushan Mohanty in Sundargarh Ra Salman Khan, Divya has also proved her prowess in Telugu films and television shows. Understandably, the actress sounds super excited about her next release, Tu Kahide I Love You, opposite Rakesh, which releases soon.
However, it was the small screen that made Divya a household name, eventually helping her graduate to films. Born to businessman Manoj and homemaker Dipti Mohanty, Divya made her television debut with Jai Maa Lakhmi, a mythological show that aired on Tarang channel. The show gave her instant recognition. “I don’t have a background in films. Credit goes to my dance teacher Prabhat Kumar Swain, under whose tutelage I received my junior scholarship in Odissi dance,” says Divya.
Swain would often accompany Divya to perform at popular festivals such as Konark Mahotsav, Mukteswar Dance Festival, Rajarani Music Festival, Dhauli Mahotsav and International Odissi Dance Festival and later advised her to give acting a try.
“I wasn’t at all interested. He asked me to audition for the role of Goddess Lakhmi in the mythological soap, Jai Maa Lakhmi. I always felt that acting was never my cup of tea. However, I surprisingly bagged the role following my screen test and audition. I was preparing for my Class X exams and was little apprehensive about acting. It was my mother who encouraged me to give it a try.”
That said, it wasn’t a cakewalk for Divya and she would initially struggle to live up to the expectations of the show’s director. “Mythological soaps are completely different from other shows. Besides donning heavy jewellery and wearing heavy makeup, actors need to be extremely cautious about the language and their dialogue delivery. The language needs to be authentic and dialogues need be mouthed softly,” says the actress
Given that she was a newbie, Divya was bound to make mistakes. However, she got the much-needed support from the director, who never shied away from encouraging and guiding her. And Divya never realised when she fell in love with acting.
Today, Divya is proud to be part of the show that helped her touch millions of hearts. Fondly remembering one of the scenes, Divya says, “There was wedding scene where I had to leave my father (Samudra). I cried without glycerine. I felt as if I was leaving my Baba. Tears started rolling down my cheeks.”
Following her success on Odia television, Divya started getting offers from down south. And without wasting much time she grabbed the opportunity. “When I got the first call from the south Indian film industry, I thought someone must be playing a prank on me. Later after they started calling me frequently, I gave my nod and left for Hyderabad in 2016,” says Divya.
However, language once again posed a major challenge despite the casting team providing her a Hindi-speaking assistant. ”Instead, I asked for a Telugu-speaking assistant so that I could learn the language. Finally, it took me a year to master the language. My voice in the movie Nene Kaani wasn’t dubbed. It was a memorable experience working with actors form the south. They are both professional and supportive,” says Divya, who is pursuing Plus III second year.
Divya’s dreams were finally taking shape one by one. However, one still remained unfilled, that of working with Babushan and filmmaker Ashok Pati, along with being part of a Tarang Cine Productions film. But that too came true when she was cast as the female lead in Sundargarh Ra Salman Khan. “I was on cloud nine when I learnt that I was cast opposite Babushan. It felt like all my dreams were coming true at a time. Babushan is a superstar but doesn’t have any airs,” says the stunning actress.
It goes without saying that, life has changed a lot for Divya in the last few years. Today, she can’t think of anything apart from acting. “Many say acting runs in my blood and I won’t be able to live without it. I would leave it to the audience to judge me after watching my work. However, I don’t want to be an actress. Instead, I would prefer being remembered as a good artiste,” she signs off.
RASHMI REKHA DAS, OP
