‘I am very glad that I will be sharing screen space with Mammootty.'

Stunning is the word that first comes to your mind when you set your eyes on Deepti Sati. The gorgeous lady who won accolades for her debut film ‘Nee-Na’ is back once again with a new

Mollywood

movie. Deepti who was one of the top finalists of Femina Miss India 2014 spoke to us about her upcoming

Malayalam

film and her journey so far in showbiz. Excerpts from our conversation…
You made a dream debut in ‘Nee-Na’, which was a women-centric movie, directed by Lal Jose how did you manage to fit into the character like an experienced artist in your first film itself?
As a child I always wanted to be an actor and an entertainer and always wondered what my debut would be like. When I was offered Nee-Na, it gave me the opportunity to fulfil my childhood dream and I was so thrilled about it. The confidence I had in myself helped me enact such a tough role. Also my director was very particular that I don't prepare and do it as naturally as possible and it all happened so quick. My director Lal sir helped me a lot with the mannerisms and certain habitual traits of the character and helped me understand what ‘Nee-Na’ was all about. There was no formal training for it and the remaining was all done on the spot. Thanks to the entire team, it came out well.

After your hit debut where you were nominated for many awards you decided to act in a Kannada-Telugu bilingual film ‘Jaguar’. An action packed movie which was different from your debut film, what inspired you to make such a choice considering it was your second film?
Post ‘Nee-Na’, I got various offers from Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu and even Tamil film industries. But what made me pick ‘Jaguar’ was its technical crew and the scope of learning and experiencing something different. It was also a big budget South-Indian movie and my entry to two different industries - Kannada and Telugu. My role in the film was a polar opposite to what I played in ‘Nee-Na’ and I thought that would be a good way to show my versatility as an actor.

One major question that perturbs everyone's mind is why did it take you two years to sign your second Malayalam film ‘Lava Kusha’ considering you made a hit debut in ace director Lal Jose’s film?
Like I said earlier, post ‘Nee-Na’ I got a lot of offers from all languages. I picked ‘Jaguar’ because it gave me a platform to do a different sort of character than that of my maiden project. I was not supposed to take up any new projects till its release as per the contract. The shoot schedule delayed due to various reasons and a year passed by. Now I am back and have signed 3 projects.

You will also be seen opposite superstar Mammootty in the lead role how excited are you about the film which also stars another talented actress like Asha Sarath? Tell us something about your character in the movie?
I am very happy and glad that I will be sharing screen space with veterans like Mammootty sir and Asha Sarath ma'am. More than anything else, the experience of learning from them and observing them act has really taught me so much. Their advice, help and just interacting with them was beautiful. I play a bubbly, fun-loving girl from Kochi in the movie.

Did you feel intimidated or out of place in presence of your co-stars Mammootty and Asha Sarath? Was it easy to not get star struck?
I was definitely nervous on the first day of shoot and I remember having a good amount of dialogues to perform too. But after meeting them and doing a scene it got all easy. They were very warm, clam and supportive and helped me improve where I felt stuck, which is such an encouragement in itself.

Whenever models become actors, the biggest notion and perception people have about them is that models can't act. You think you have broken that myth with your successful films in Malayalam and Kannada?
That’s definitely a wrong notion that models can't act! Not only me, I think there are so many girls out there who have proved that models can act and vice versa. But everything needs a huge amount of hard work and dedication. That's the most important thing! And of course self-belief.

You have worked in Kannada and Malayalam film industry. Which medium do you find the best when it comes to work satisfaction, professionalism, and discipline?
It's very hard to answer that because each industry has its own way of working and each have their own pros. They are definitely different in the approach but the process is the same. Also, one common aspect between the entire South industry (Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu) is that language isn't a barrier and good cinema is appreciated irrespectively. The bottom line is that a movie is a fruit of creative and passionate team work, and the entire team works hard to make that work of art, a successful reality!

Getting into films is not an easy job when you know there are many aspiring girls out there vying for a role in movies, in such a context do you feel being a part of Miss India makes the road ahead easy?
More than making the road easy it gives you an excellent platform to learn. It's an opportunity to find yourself and to showcase your talents. I have learnt a lot due to Miss India and all those learnings and experiences have helped me become who I am today.

Malayalam cinema has seen a huge influx of young stars in recent times which is the one actor you would love to share screen space with and why?
There are just so many good actors and all of them bring so much uniqueness to the table. Each one is different in their own way. I have a huge list of people I would love to work with. Prithviraj, Dulquer Salmaan, Nivin Pauly, Tovino Thomas and new entrant Antony Varghese are a few among the long list of actors I’d like to work with.
In your short film career, you have made a smooth transition from Malayalam to Kannada and Telugu with relatively much ease. Going forward how keen are you venturing in Telugu and Hindi films?
As a girl who has been born and brought up in Mumbai, I have grown up watching Bollywood. It's always been a dream and I'm working towards it. The Telugu industry is something different and I find it so interesting and love the way they make their movies. I have been watching a lot of Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam movies. The entire South-Indian industry is doing extremely well and making some really good movies and being a part of this industry makes me feel proud. I wish to do more not only in Telugu but Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam and definitely venture into Hindi films soon.

You have also made it to the list of Times Most Desirable Women list for 2016. What is your definition of the word ‘desirable’?
I don't think it's only your physical attributes that make you desirable. It's your overall personality! Your ability to communicate with people, your ability to inspire them with your life and work, your outlook towards life and behaviour. To be desirable is an overall package!