Not every actor gets a chance to debut with a big Bollywood star. However, Devangshi Sen is a brilliant exception in this case as she is the protagonist of the web series Kamma Calling starring Raveena Tandon. For a new actor, playing Raveena Tandon’s daughter on screen can be intimidating and jarring, but Dwanshi’s stellar performance is a testament to her skills and her ability to fit into the script.
Talking about the revenge drama, Devangshi Sen exclusively shared with News18 Showsha the entire journey from landing the role in Kamma Calling, meeting Raveena Tandon, cracking the complicated scenes in the show and her ambitions as an actor.
Here is an excerpt:
Karmma Calling marks your acting debut as it is with Raveena Tandon.
It must be something special. How did you get this role?what fascinates you most
About this project?
I moved to Mumbai in March 2022.I have zero connection to the film industry and
I really, really don’t know how to work as an actor here.So, I went to Panchami
Ghavri owns PGC (a casting company) and I asked her if I could intern with her for 3 years
months. I wanted to learn as much as possible about the audition process, what makes a good audition, and get more of a behind-the-scenes look at how/why actors are chosen. She generously provided me with an internship, and during my tenure I helped hundreds of actors audition. I shot 6/7 scenes every day for probably 3 months straight. It’s amazing how much I’ve learned and grown. After leaving the company, I returned to the same office a week later to audition for Mira. I was so excited to audition. I had not considered playing this character at all. So when I got the role, I was absolutely delighted and shocked. What interests me most about this project is definitely its story. I binge-watched 22 episodes of the first season of Revenge and loved it. It was so funny that I couldn’t look away.
What can you recall about your first meeting with Raveena Tandon?
Did you do any off-screen preparations to make the mother-daughter dynamic work for the camera?
I think the first time I met Raveena, we needed to take some family photos to make sure the vision for “The Kotharis” came to fruition. I’m usually a very outgoing and talkative person, but when I met Ravina I was very shy and quiet. She definitely had the aura of a star, so I was both in awe and nervous. Then I realized that in most of my scenes with her, I had to fight back and challenge her, so I needed to get rid of those tensions. Thankfully we did a lot of reading together which really broke the ice. She also just talked and talked like a normal person during these readings, so the nervous energy dissipated quickly. It was also nice that most of my scenes with Raveena were shot within a week, so I could easily be with her all the time. Also, I think Raveena really understands Indrani and I understand Meera, so creating that dynamic was actually pretty easy because we were just being honest with our characters. I think it was a challenge for me to shoot this scene at the charity gala in episode four because that was the only time Mira had a nice word for her mother. The rest of the time Mila wanted nothing to do with her mother, so it was a challenge for me to figure out how Mila would be nice to her while maintaining an underlying resentment toward her.
Considering that Raveena Tandon is a well-known actor and has been in the industry for a long time, what qualities have you learned from her? What tips did she impart that you think helped you in your acting career?
I think her work ethic is something I embrace. She is so focused and hardworking. Sometimes she has multiple scenes and I only have one or two, so I have a lot of free time. Raveena would finish one scene, then go change and get ready for the second scene, and so on. I never saw her lose energy or focus. Being on set can be tiring for everyone, and on this show, she needed to look fresh and glamorous most of the time. It’s not easy to hide fatigue on your face or body after such a long time, but Raveena always looks so fresh and energetic. I also learned from Raveena the power of an actor’s eye. Her eyes tell such a powerful story and I was even more impressed with her depth while watching the show. This is something I will definitely focus on in the future. One of the great things about this show is the power of women. The play has two female leads and is directed by a female director. It also makes me proud as a young girl to be on a show with such strong women.
Since it is adapted from a foreign TV series, it also faces its own set of challenges. Remakes are often harshly criticized and compared to the originals. So are you nervous about that? How do you think the makers adapted Revenge in the Indian context?
I don’t think it’s something I’ve ever been very nervous about.I do agree with the remake.
Foreign shows are often harshly criticized, but comparisons are natural.I don’t think the makers
Not only was there the task of adapting Revenge for India, but also the task of bringing the show to life
Ten years ago, “Revenge” was released ten years ago.so much happened
The past decade, especially due to advances in technology and social media.for
For example, in Karma, Meera is both an influential person and a rich girl.and access
Information is more readily available, which could affect how Karmma seeks revenge. Therefore, the characters also had to be modernized to fit today’s times. I think the way they adapted the show to India is beautiful. The biggest difference between Revenge and Call of Karma is the aesthetic, which shines even brighter once adapted to India. I think the fusion of our culture with this exciting storyline adds to the quality of the show that makes it worth watching. The makers have brought light to the world of India’s super rich, which is not dominant on OTT.
The character you play, Meera, has many layers. It’s not as one-dimensional as people think. When a character is well written, how much room does it give an actor like yourself to improvise? What did you bring to Mira that wasn’t in the original script?
I think the amount of space we have to improvise as actors depends more on
director. Having a well-written character is a blessing, but nonetheless, each actor will naturally play the same character in a completely different way. In fact, Ruchi gave me a lot of freedom with Meera. I think it was because she trusted me, which made me feel so grateful to her.
Do you remember the most complex scene in Kamma Calling that you found challenging to crack? How did you end up doing well?
I don’t think it was the most complex scene, but for me it was the most difficult. This is the scene in the first episode where Dash and Meera meet for the first time at Bombil Cafe. The day before this scene I got some very bad news and it affected me emotionally a lot. So, for this scene, my character was actually very happy because she met Dash, and overall, she was in a positive light. After the first few shoots, Ruchi asked me if I was stressed and I said no, actually I don’t think I was stressed. Then she called me over to the monitor and that’s when I realized how nervous my face actually looked. Since then, I’ve learned how much compartmentalization actors sometimes need to do. Even though they’re facing a lot of people, they need to be separated in order to do justice to the characters they play. It did take some time that day, but I just tried to focus on my breathing and Ruchi’s instructions. Honestly, she was so patient with me that day and I felt safe in that environment. My partner Piyush kept making me laugh which also eased my nerves and kept me going. This was my most nervous scene and I’m really happy with the result.
What do you find to be the most challenging and difficult aspect of Mira to master? How did you deal with this challenge?
I think the most challenging aspect of Mira for me is her confidence and boldness. For example, Mila is very confident in her body and the way she speaks. She always wears short and revealing clothes, which honestly really scares me and leaves me feeling sober at times.Self-awareness is expressed through body language
And it will definitely show up on camera.This is the problem I really need to solve
Justice for Mira.I spent a lot of time in front of the mirror studying my performance
Wearing revealing clothes and then playing with Mira’s behavior.I need to
Finding confidence in myself, I finally did it and didn’t think twice about it afterwards.
What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received for your role in Karmma Calling? From whom?
The best compliment I ever got was from Saloni Patel, she is a wonderful actress and
Married to Viraf (who plays Zain Khan in the show). After the screening, she came to me and said that Meera was her favorite character.She told me she thought it was natural for me to play her
She gets excited every time I’m on screen because it’s like
A breath of fresh air from all the intense drama going on.Honestly, this means
The world for me, honestly gives me a lot of motivation.
You’ve said in previous interviews that you’ve always been fascinated and drawn to the world of acting, showbiz and theater.
Considering how competitive the market is, how did you overcome your initial nerves or inhibitions before entering the industry?
To be honest, I haven’t gotten over my nerves or inhibitions about entering this industry. To prevent myself from overthinking and worrying too much, I just take it one day at a time. Thankfully, the experiences I’ve had and the people I’ve met have been so positive and lovely. I think navigating this industry and making the right choices is something I’m struggling with, especially since I’m new and figuring it all out on my own. But ultimately I believed in myself and hoped that would be enough.
What kind of role would you like to play after Kamma Calling? Do you prefer richer roles in OTT over supporting roles in Bollywood films starring A-list stars? What are your top priorities?
In my opinion, work is work and I am interested in richer OTT roles or
Supporting roles in films with A-list stars. My loyalties lie with the characters, and if I believe a character interests or challenges me, I will enjoy playing them regardless of the medium.I really want to grow as an actor and learn as much as I can, at least for the next few years
able. If any project offers me such an opportunity, I will gladly accept it.
After Raveena Tandon, which actor will you co-star in a film with? Since Ranbir Kapoor is your crush, would you rather do a romantic comedy or a serious drama with him?
Hahaha, specifically, I really like Ranbir’s character Bunny in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. This is one of my all time favorite movies. I would love to do any kind of film with Ranveer Singh, I think he is such a talented actor and has such a fun personality that I would both learn a lot and have such a fun experience on the set. And Alia Bhatt. She is definitely my favorite actor today. Her acting journey and film repertoire is one of the most outstanding I have ever seen. I really respect her as an actor. I did perform a lot of her monologues as practice and I was definitely inspired by her a lot.
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