Ahead of the film's release in India, on 22 November, Divya Prabha spoke to South First about the Grand Prix winner and much more.
Published Nov 20, 2024 | 3:52 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 21, 2024 | 9:06 AM
Divya Prabha. (Supplied)
Divya Prabha has been working in the Malayalam film industry for the past ten years, delivering fine performances in films like Take Off (2017), Ariyippu (2022) and Thamaasha (2019).
She has been in the limelight after her splendid performance in Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light. The movie directed by Payal Kapadia won the Grand Prix award at Cannes this year.
Besides Divya Prabha, the film stars Kani Kusruti, Chaya Kadam and Hridu Haroon in key roles.
Ahead of the film’s release in India, on 22 November, Divya Prabha spoke to South First in a candid interview.
Here are the edited excerpts:
Q. What is your favourite thing about All We Imagine As Light?
A. The first thing that comes to my mind is the process and the preparations ahead of the shoot. We had ample time for preparations, and there were numberable workshops, due to which, everyone was clear about the film, and their roles by the time we went on sets.
Q. What made you take the role of Anu in All We Imagine As Light?
Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha in ‘All We Imagine as Light’. (Unifrance)
A. The name Payal Kapadia itself was a major reason. Her previous documentary A Knight of Knowing Nothing won the Golden Eye Award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021.
I felt working with Payal and her team would be a good experience. When I read the script, it felt like an extremely well-written novel, each character had a graph and a closure. I liked the politics of the script too.
Interestingly, I was offered the role of Prabha— a nurse from a conservative family, which is now played by Kani Kusruti. Payal approached me after she saw my performance in the 2022 film Ariyippu, in which, I did a similar serious role.
However, as we started speaking, Payal felt I could do the role of Anu— a younger nurse—too. When she asked me what kind of role I’d like to do, I told her that primarily I wanted to be a part of All We Imagine As Light, but as I’ve already done such serious roles, I wanted to do young and energetic roles.
That’s when she offered me the role of Anu, I auditioned for it and bagged the role.
I took the opportunity as a challenge to show the audience that I am capable of doing varied roles. Payal’s workshops too helped me a lot.
Q. How was it working with Payal, Chhaya Kadam and Kani, what made you guys bond off the sets?
A. Kani and I have been friends since before, but that didn’t have any impact on the performance, as the dynamics between the characters matter, and that was developed while working. It didn’t matter if we were friends or not.
About Payal, I was very much impressed with her personality. She is very grounded, inclusive, collaborative and receptive. We always had space to voice our opinions or doubts with Payal.
Not only artists, Payal used to take suggestions from everyone— from the camera department to the makeup department—even though she knew exactly what she wanted. This quality of Payal impressed me very much.
Everyone knew what we were about to shoot, and were very much part of it. Everyone worked on the film as if it were their own.
As far as preparing for a character, I knew what had to be done, and have done that for my previous roles too. But after All We Imagine As Light, I understood the extent to which we must be willing to think about the character.
Q. The red carpet moment and the Grand Prix got a rousing reception. Looking back, how was the experience on such a big stage?
The team at the Cannes Film Festival 2024. (Supplied)
A. I had previously attended the red carpet at the Locarno Film Festival for my movie Ariyippu.
Cannes is more commercial and balanced. They select different types of films, and there are different film markets. Cannes is also much more lively. The red carpet is as much celebrated as the main festival. The red carpet has a protocol for dressing and is a platform for everyone to showcase their fashion.
It was a unique experience for all of us. I also got to meet and speak to many filmmakers and celebrities. When I think of it now, I would say, it’s a memorable moment in my life.
Q. What inspired you to become an actor?
Divya Prabha wants to play different roles in films. (Supplied)
A. Acting was a coincidence, it was not my initial passion. I was jogging, and incidentally, a shoot was happening nearby. The makers spotted me and asked me to do a small role. That is how I started acting and learnt the craft along the way.
As I started learning different methods of acting and did a variety of roles, I developed a passion, I am now very passionate about acting.
As actors, we live different lives. In an attempt to crack the character, we inculcate new mannerisms and see the world through new perspectives. This process has made me more kind and empathetic.
The profession offers a unique opportunity to step into different lives and explore varied perspectives and emotions. It’s like living multiple lives in one lifetime, each with its own set of experiences, challenges, and stories.
Through these roles, you get to understand and connect with the human condition on a deeper level, often discovering parts of yourself you never knew existed.
In any other profession, we tend to work with the same team for prolonged periods of time, but with acting, we work with different filmmakers and teams very frequently. This has helped me grow and change as a person.
Q. What has been your biggest career challenge so far?
A. I would say my characters in Ariyippu and All We Imagine As Light were challenging because in these two films, my characters were important from start to end and I also had to shoulder the movies.
This doesn’t mean that a small role isn’t important, irrespective of the length, it is equally challenging to give a convincing performance.
Q. Who is your favourite director to work with and why?
A. There are many directors I would like to work with. Even if it’s experienced or new directors, if I like the role and story, I would do it. The most important part for me is their intention towards cinema. It can be understood when we speak to them.
Q. In Ariyippu, you have a strong role as a married woman. How do you prepare while doing such a character?
A. Mahesh Narayanan, director of Ariyippu has a different craft. As an actor, I always feel secure when my director has more clarity about that character and film.
Mahesh knows everything about his movie, even if it’s a background story or whatever we ask about the movie, Mahesh has an answer to give. But there wasn’t a workshop like I had in Payal’s film. There was space for discussion and suggestions and Mahesh was open to them.
Coming to my preparation, in Ariyippu, my character works in a gloves factory. We had to study how it’s made. I had gone to the glove manufacturing factories in Kochi and Delhi. The conversations with employees helped me a lot while doing this movie.
Q. You have been part of films such as Malik, Ariyippu, Thamasha, and Take Off, and they gave you recognition as an actor. Are these the kinds of roles you like to do?
A. It’s not about serious roles or light roles, I make sure to not do roles which are not repetitive so that I don’t lose my excitement. When I’m doing versatile roles, I’m curious and excited. The movies I have committed to recently can be placed in a more commercial space.
Q. What are your future projects?
A candid photo of Divya Prabha. (Supplied)
A. I am doing a movie with Asif Ali directed by Thamar which will start shooting soon. There are some other projects too which will be announced soon. Another movie is Marthyaloka Ithihasam directed by Atal Krishnan.
Q. What would you say about the range of filmmaking voices from different genders that have emerged from India in the last few years?
A. I don’t think any particular gender will do something creatively to cinema. Gender doesn’t matter in creative spaces. When a woman directs a movie, the perspective of that woman’s character may change. If it’s made by a male director, he will have a different perspective. I don’t see any other major difference in that.
From a creative space, every filmmaker can make any type of film, by believing their craft and capacity. I have always felt that there is no need to address a filmmaker by their gender.
Q. Do you think the dialogues in Malayalam films have changed to make them more inclusive for women?
A. I had enjoyed the dialogues in many old Malayalam films when I watched them in the past. But now, while rewatching them, I am not enjoying them anymore. There have been discussions about those bad dialogues and films these days.
I believe that in the present era, there are more quality films made by sensible filmmakers and actors.
(Edited by Sumavarsha kandula.)
