My journey in the industry was no cakewalk: Dhanya Balakrishna

Actress Dhanya Balakrishna talks to us after a long day at the shoot. “Working style on the sets has changed to quite an extent after the pandemic. 

That too with summer getting harsh, a few technicians find it difficult to work with their masks on across the day,” the actress tells DT Next. 

Having made her debut with 7am Arivu alongside Suriya and Shruti Haasan, she caught the audience’s attention in films like I and shot to fame with As I’m Suffering From Kaadhal with her role of Meera. “My journey in the industry wasn’t a cakewalk. I was almost typecast as a friend to lead actresses and had to refuse a few offers as they were on similar lines. I even took a break in between for a couple of years to pursue my passion for theatres. When I came back to movies I ensured that I would sign roles that would contribute to taking the story forward. There are a few small-time artistes who tell me how I inspired them. My patience rather. I would love to see those character actors of today believe in their potential and work with patience and passion to pursue their dreams of becoming lead actors someday,” she says with a smile.

Having worked with directors like AR Murugadoss, Atlee, and Balaji Mohan, the Puzhikkadakan actress opens up saying, “It is because of Murugadoss I’m here. He believed in me when I was a nobody in the industry. Working with Atlee, Balaji, and other directors had takeaways in their own way and helped me in enhancing my acting nuances.”

Dhanya now has Carbon with Vidharth, Flip Flop, and 2020 — all lead roles. “Carbon is a crime thriller that has shaped up well. I play a Chennai girl in the film and revolves around technology. Flip Flop is being planned as a bilingual release in Kannada and Telugu. 2020 is a Kannada film that talks about the lockdown. Apart from these, I have been listening to a few scripts for both theatrical releases and OTTs,” she reveals. With the arrival of OTT, she believed that the prospects of storytelling have gotten broader. “When I did As I am Suffering From Kaadhal, OTT wasn’t for everyone. Today, it has become a great tool of storytelling in which major stars are also involved and has become a credible stage for other actors as well,” she concludes.