She made her presence felt in Tollywood with her first film ‘Hippi’ with Kartikeya and followed it up with Valayam. She is known in Tollywood for her hit film with Sampath Nandi’s ‘Seetimaar’ alongwith Gopichand and Tamannaah Bhatia. Let’s wait no further and dive into the blab I had with her:
Sandy: Hey Digangana! Hope you are doing as beautiful as your looks!
Digangana: Ha-ha, Yes. Thanks, Sandy!
Sandy: Could you throw some shimmery light on your early background?
Digangana: I was born and raised in Mumbai. Most of my family members are highly qualified doctors and engineers. I was really serious about acting. I started my acting journey with TV and went and gradually outgrew myself.
My parents have also been supportive towards my decisions and they could see my step-by-step progress. Acting gives us an opportunity to not only express ourselves, but we get to travel many places and experience cultural exchanges between each other. I had the privilege to play different roles on TV and it helped me gain confidence.
Sandy: Not many get to see two films release on the same day and that too for a debut! 🙂 You got to see ‘Jalebi’ and ‘Fryday’ as your debut vehicles in Bollywood. ‘Jalebi’ was from Vishesh Films (Mukesh Bhatt and Mahesh Bhatt) and ‘Fryday’ had you pitted along with Govinda.
Digangana: True! I was amazed to know that both my films were set to release on the same day. I still get a twinkle in my eye when people talk about it. I had signed ‘Fryday’ first and when the director narrated me the script, it was nice, a one-day story. The best thing was me playing a role opposite Govinda in a situational comedy. Both, Govinda and Varun Sharma have brilliant comic timing.
‘Jalebi’ had me playing the second lead and I was the last actor to get onboard for the film. Sometimes in life, we got to take chances and I wanted to do this film though it had me as the second lead alongside Rhea Chakraborty and Varun Mitra. I was 20 at the time of its release. I was simultaneously promoting both the films and I am very happy that I received a lot of recognition for my work in those films.
Sandy: A few words on your Telugu debut flick ‘Hippi’.
Digangana: It was an enjoyable ride shooting for ‘Hippi’. During the start of the shoot, lead actor Kartikeya was the talk of town as this film was his upcoming right after the super hit ‘RX 100’. The film had big names in the crew department and I feel privileged for having debuted with such talented names.
Sandy: Your follow up film was ‘Valayam’ which had its story based on your character named Disha. It was a totally serious subject. What made you sign the film?
Digangana: Yes, as you rightly said, the story was based on the character that I played. I love doing different genre. As my first film was a fun and commercial stuff, I wanted to play a realistic role and the character of Disha had its elements in place. It was more of a today’s girl role – docile and calm.
Quick Shot Round:
- Love: Pure
- Your biggest regret: No regrets
- The most used App on your phone: Whatsapp
- Your worst habit: I feel I put a lot of trust in people
- Morning or a Night person? Definitely a morning person but right now due to the lockdown, I am getting to see the different shades of me, Ha-ha!
- Your favorite genre: Larger than life cinema
- Your favorite actors: Ranbir Kapoor and Ram Charan
- Directors you’d like to work with: Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Imtiaz Ali, SS Rajamouli
- Good and Bad about the film industry: I tend to see only the good things that it offers and ignore the bad
Sandy: Talking about your film ‘Seetimaar’ under Sampath Nandi’s direction. How was the experience working with Gopichand and Tamannaah?
Digangana: I am paired up with Gopichand and it’s a filmy role, different from what I’ve done in the past. He is pleasant and a very humble person. I enjoyed working with Tamannaah. The film has been receiving many accolades and it feels great!
Sandy: You secured a name for yourself on small screen and doing well on the big screen too! What’s the difference you feel in terms of acting towards both the screens?
Digangana: I started with TV and it’s totally a different ball game, Sandy. TV shows do not have a proper end while films have a start to end script. We need to adapt in accordance to both the streams. It’s all about understanding the manner in which a film or a TV show is shot.
Sandy: What’s in store for you in the coming months?
Digangana: I am in talks to work in a Hindi film. It’s a wonderful script and I am playing the lead actress. I cannot divulge more details until the makers announce it. I also have couple of commercials coming up.
Editor’s note: It felt great interacting and knowing more about Digangana. We have common friends in the industry and it’s always a peppy feeling getting to learn about someone in depth. Wishing Digangana Suryavanshi, a sweet cinematic journey ahead, filled with laughter and excitement!
Interview by Sandy (Sandeep Rao)
Follow Digangana @diganganasuryavanshi
Follow Sandy @blabwithsandy
Special Thanks: Anjali and GreenLight Media