Treading on the right path

Divya Rao, the antagonist of Telugu television industry, shot to fame with her negative role as Bhargavi in the serial ‘Manasu Mamatha’. In a candid interview, Divya shares her passion, her tryst with acting and her role

Is acting your childhood passion?
My passion has always been dancing. I wanted to participate in Sony TV’s ‘Boogie-Woogie’ but that did not happen. Then I gave auditions for ‘Aata 3’ in Hyderabad in May 2008 and with God’s grace I was selected in each and every round. I came till top 3. Subsequently, I started getting offers for anchoring and acting. However, I was not keen on acting then so I missed many offers.

How did you bag the role in ‘Manasu Mamatha’?
I got this opportunity because of my director Anil sir. He is a very big director in Telugu television. Although ‘Manasu Mamatha’ is my eighth show, it has shot me to fame. To be honest, the serial should have ended last year. But Ramoji Rao sir said that the show should continue for another two years and Divya should be a part of it.

Bhargavi forayed into the show to take revenge from her father; don’t you think your character was strayed from main plot?
Yes. But the role did not drift because she entered into the show to take revenge from her father. Later to make him suffer, she tried to get close with his son-in-law Raja. But in this process, she fell in love with him. Rather than love, we can say, Bhargavi is obsessed with Raja. Being a belligerent woman, she wants Raja in her life at any cost. She feels her step-sister Chandu should also undergo the same pain like her mother. I don’t think my role meandered from the plot. And if you see Bhargavi got married and the show took 20 years leap, but still she wants Raja.

What transition did you undergo when the show took 20 years leap?
I took care of my hairstyle and made sure that I wear only designer sarees in the show. Apart from that, nothing is changed. I love my role of Bhargavi, which gave me so much reputation. People recognise me and call me by my character name. The whole story revolves around the main antagonist Bhargavi and she has always been a reckless woman, so suddenly she can’t be a simple and frail woman.

Even after 20 years Bhargavi is still ignorant of the truth that her father is innocent. What is your take on it?
She doesn’t want to learn the truth. Now her main aim is to get Raja in her life back by hook or crook. She is an injudicious person. She feels that she is right. At the same time, she is a cynic too, with pathological thinking. I feel that the person, who has all these qualities won’t make any attempts to learn the actual truth. She is stonewalling herself from the world so that she can get what she wants. And Bhargavi’s character is designed like that, which actually intrigued me to do the role. Literally, the day Bhargavi learns the truth and if she changes for the good then the show will go off-air (Giggles).

Why did you quit Zee TV’s ‘Muthyala Muggu’ abruptly?
When the show started it was something else and slowly it drifted. My character was not something I wished to play. In ‘Manasu Mamatha’ with the flow of character, I become a middle-aged woman. But in ‘Muthyala Muggu’ I started playing a middle-aged woman from day one. So I decided to quit the show and all my acquaintances also supported me with the decision.

How do you handle people’s hatred towards your role?
(Giggles) Well, that is the actual appreciation. Fans come and say that how good I act and at the same time they say, “Please stop! Don’t give so much pain to Raja and Chandu.” They scold me like hell. Listening to this I feel I’m growing as an actor and I’m in the best phase of my life. Not only fans; my parents and relatives also say that they like my acting and at the same time they hate my role and they are unable to bash me because of the relation (laughs). So all these things always make me feel that I’m on the right path.

By:Abhyudaya Karamchetu