If you have watched Sathyan Anthikad’s Njan Prakashan, Tina is someone you are bound to take home with you. The rebellious but brave Tina battling a life-threatening ailment was essayed with ease by debutante Devika.
A Class X student of Kendriya Vidyalaya, East Hill, Kozhikode, the 16-year-old is ecstatic about the film’s success and her new-found celebrity status. “I am living my dream. I can’t believe that I have fulfilled my wish so early,” says the actor over the phone from her house at Koyilandy. It was through her teacher Renuka Sasi that Devika landed the role. “She knows Sathyan sir and suggested my name as he was looking for a girl of my age for the character,” she adds.
Devika says that since she is into several extracurricular activities in school, she was not nervous during the audition. “Moreover, I had to play what I am in real life on screen! Some of the dialogues are what I actually tell my mother!” she chuckles.
Happy days
The shoot was a joy ride. “I couldn’t attend school for one month, but I made up for it on the sets of the film in Kochi. Before my shoot began, Sathyan sir made me watch how a film was shot. So by the time I did my scenes, I was familiar with the process,” she says. Devika also speaks highly of associate director Akhil Sathyan [Sathyan Anthikkad’s son] and the group of associate directors who supported her.
Sync sound was a challenge, she adds. “But Kumar sir [cinematographer S Kumar] and Anilettan [Anil Radhakrishnan, sound designer], were around to guide me and point out even small errors,” she adds.
Devika can’t stop raving about Fahadh Faasil. “It is a delight watching him perform, especially how he creates magic with those minute expressions. I enjoyed watching him perform in the scene where he narrates a story to me. He helped me in my scenes with several suggestions, in spite of going for several takes,” she says.
A huge fan of Nazriya Nazim, Dulquer Salmaan and “now Fahadh”, she had her fan girl moment when Nazriya came on the sets. “I was thunderstruck and felt like I was in a dream. I pinched myself several times!” she laughs.
Daughter of Sanjay PK, a software engineer, and Sreelatha K, a civil police officer, Devika says that she plans to act, but not at the cost of her studies. Right now, she is enjoying the adulation coming her way.
“My friends don’t treat me as a celebrity, but I know they teared up in certain scenes, which means they loved my character!” she signs off.
