Why was Divya Uruduga worried during Huliraaya?

You might have watched the bubbly Divya Uruduga on the small screen many times over the last few years and loved each of her performances in shows like Chitte Hejje, Ambaari, Khushi and Om Shakti Om Shanti. It is now time to welcome her on the big screen with Huliraya, in a role that is touted to be quite a performance-oriented one.

While one would assume that her years as an actress would have given her the right foundation to move to the big screen, Divya tells us that the two mediums are very different. “For roles on TV, you are often advised to dramatize your emotions. I had quite a lot of unlearning to do during my first few days on the set of Huliraya. Here, it was about being subtle and real. And having a task master of a director like Aravind Kaushik was another experience. While Aravind is not the sort who shouts on the set, he is extremely particular about canning a shot just the way he wants it. So, if you have not delivered a shot the way he wants you to, he will patiently continue to can them — if not that day, then the next — until you get it right,” says Divya.

Aravind’s wife, Shilpa, who Divya had worked with on a television show, was the one who referred her for the lead role in Huliraya. “I am from

Theerthahalli

and was in Mangaluru to complete my education. It was during that time that I got an offer for roles on TV. I met Shilpa on the set of my first TV show and we have been friends since. So, in a way, acting happened by chance. I was into sports in school, and not concerned about how presentable I was,” she says.



On the sets of Huliraya, the biggest challenge that Divya faced was to act opposite co-star Balu Nagendra. “When I signed the film, Aravind told me, ‘Balu is a nice chap. Don’t worry, don’t get scared.’ That is a strange thing to say about the film’s hero. But it was only after we began shooting that I realized what he meant. Balu had got so into the character of a guy from the forest that he actually behaved like one. There were times when he would scream so loud before a shot that I would forget my dialogues. I was worried that I would be overshadowed by his performance. Of course, over time, he has thrown quite a few tricks and tips of the trade my way and I am thankful for that. I could not have asked for a better platform for my debut. The entire atmosphere, with Aravind and Balu, was perfect,” she says.

Divya is skeptical about taking up TV offers now. “I have a positive feeling about Huliraya. First, because of the people involved in the making, and second, because people like Rakshit Shetty and Pushkara Mallikarjunaiah are backing it. Just being a part of this film has already got me three interesting film projects,” she says.