FINDING DODO

There's more to Divyenndu than his pitch perfect comic timing. Srijani Roy Chowdhury charts out his versatility

- Srijani Roy Chowdhury

DIVYENNDU MADE THE AUDIENCE ROLL DOWN IN THE AISLES WITH LAUGHTER THROUGH HIS PERFORMANCE IN THE RECENTLY RELEASED MADGAON EXPRESS. IN A CANDID CONVERSATION, THE ACTOR REFLECTS ON HIS ARTISTIC ODYSSEY. HIS JOURNEY IS AN ENIGMATIC BLEND OF HARDCORE THEATRE AND THE DYNAMISM OF COMMERCIAL CINEMA. HE’S FIRMLY COMMITTED TO UNDERSTANDING THE NUANCES OF HIS CHARACTERS, HOWEVER ABSURD OR SUBLIME THEY ARE. WHILE THEATRE REMAINS HIS FIRST LOVE, DIVYENNDU’S VERSATILITY SHINES THROUGH IN HIS SEAMLESS TRANSITION ACROSS MEDIUMS. BE IT DRAMA OR COMEDY, HIS CONFIDENCE AND POISE HAS ALWAYS MADE HIM STAND OUT. WHETHER COMMANDING THE STAGE OR CAPTIVATING AUDIENCES ON BIG AND SMALL SCREENS, HE FINDS JOY IN HIS CRAFT AND WANTS TO ENHANCE IT WITH EVERY OUTING. HE UNDERSTANDS THAT CINEMA IS A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS AND LOVES EVERY MINUTE OF TIME ON THE SETS. EXCERPTS:

Did you draw inspiration from personal experiences or make any special preparations to play Dodo in Madgaon Express?

It was an extremely wellwritten character. The credit goes to director Kunal Kemmu. The problem was that it was too much of a character to support. The primary preparation for any actor is an understanding of the character. If you understand that character, half of your work is done. That understanding emerges when you refrain from judging a character. When I read or prepare for my characters, I avoid making any judgements. You must first understand how they are, who they are, and see them as a whole before beginning to build brick by brick. It took me a long time to grasp the core of Dodo. This guy simply misses his friends. He simply wants to be with them. He is a loner at the end of the day. I found the idea of him being a loner very appealing. I would describe Dodo as someone who is alone and stuck in time.

Your camaraderie with Avinash Tiwary and Pratik Gandhi on screen was unbelievable...