Indo-American actor Devika Bhise believes she is extremely lucky to be where she is right now. When asked about her experience in front of the camera, the multifaceted singer, dancer and actor says: “When it comes to acting, it is competitive. You can be extremely talented and hard working but still not get a break. It’s hard to get the right role to do well in this field. You have to love acting and be really passionate about it.”
Devika has been cast as the female lead in Matthew Brown’s upcoming Hollywood film The Man Who Knew Infinity . Based on the life of the visionary Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, the biopic stars British actor Dev Patel as the mathematician with Devika playing his wife Janaki.
“It’s exciting,” says Devika over the phone. “The theme is really amazing. I was in Cambridge when I met Dev and Jeremy Irons, who acts as Ramanujan’s mentor in the film. The main part of what I’m going to act will be shot next week in Chennai. So I am really looking forward to it.”
While the movie is in English for a global audience, Devika says “We’re trying to make sure it is authentic to the Brahmin Iyengar culture, tradition and community the movie has as its background.”
On her role, she says Janaki is a strong and resilient character. “That’s how I would want to play this role. One of the pitfalls you can fall into here is not seeing her as three-dimensional.
“Despite the large hole of emptiness created with her husband leaving for Cambridge, Janaki appears strong. It requires a great deal of strength to do that. In those days, to be without a husband and be strong about it, is extremely admirable. For her to be able to come to terms with it, encourage it and see the good in it for her husband shows a lot of strength in character. This shows her to be ahead of her time in a way.”
Devika also feels privileged to have met Robert Kanigel, the author of the book The Man Who Knew Infinity on which the movie is based on. “Robert had met Janaki before she died. It was thrilling to hear his account of the woman I’m going to play. That was a real treat.”
On being paired with Dev Patel, she says they haven’t worked on the sets yet. “But I met him at Cambridge and he’s lovely. He takes his work seriously and I look forward to be on the sets with him.”
Devika, who has acted in The Accidental Husband and Anamika: Her Glorious Past , feels the role she is doing is unexplored territory when compared to the other two movies.
It’s definitely a responsibility to represent India, Devika feels in response to the question. “I believe I am equipped with the tools to pull it off. I’ve been studying Bharatanatya since I was four under my mother Swati Bhise. That dance is from the south and from the culture we will be exploring in the movie. Portraying the culture and the way someone from the area would walk and talk is easy since I have a lot of practice. The dance form is nothing but a mimic of that culture. That combined with my training in western theatre and music can recreate the setting for this story set about 100 years ago.”
