Striking looks and a thirst for good characters; these define Diya, who has been active in the movie industry since 2009. Those who follow fashion will be familiar with her as she was featured on so many ramp shows, often as a showstopper. She has acted in over 15 Malayalam movies till date and is now all set to sizzle in Kollywood. Three of her Tamil films are gearing up for release soon.
For someone who loved modelling, getting into the movie industry was totally out of the blue. “Some of my friends were in the modelling field and then I came into the field. Initially, I did some ramp shows and the turning point was participating in the Miss Malabar competition, for which I was one of the finalists. Then I acted in a musical video ‘Mizhikalil Chudu Nanavumai’, which became a great hit,” she says. The video has garnered 12 lakh views on YouTube and received good response from the audience.
She debuted in Malayalam movies through Akku Akbar’s Kana Kanmani. It was through her friend that she came to know that the directors were looking for an actress opposite Biju Menon. “I gave it a try and was cast in the movie. Though the subject was good, it didn’t get noticed much. Though Kana Kanmani was the first movie in which I had a good role, I had appeared in a song sequence in 2 Harihar Nagar. Don’t know it can be counted as a debut,” she quips. Later, she went onto be part of super hit movies like Evidam Swargamanu, Kadha Thudarunnu, Pokkiri Raja, Ramaleela, etc. She had also played a key character in Aneesh Anwar’s Kumbasaram. Though she played minor characters in many movies, she cherishes every movie and character. “I’m so happy and fortunate to have worked with some illustrious banners, directors and actors,” she adds.
She will be next seen in Tamil movies Rajaviku Raja, Avathara Vattayi and Enn Kadhali Scene Podrai. The movies are expected to hit the screens by the end of the year. “I play the second heroine in Rajaviku Raja and Avathara Vattayi. In Enn Kadhali Scene Podrai, I play a key character with Angadi Theru fame Mahesh. The story goes forward through my character, like in Kumbasaram movie. I was initially tense while acting in Tamil as I was a newcomer and the language was unfamiliar. But I was able to pick up well. I had the opportunity to work with senior actors like Manobala, Radha Ravi and Naren,” she says.
Diya became a familiar face in miniscreen through the adventure reality show ‘Dare The Fear’. Though she had some fears initially, she affirms that the participation in the reality show has really changed her as an individual, especially eradicating many apprehensions she had. Currently, she has been roped in as the anchor for ‘Comedy Utsavam Superstar’ on Flowers TV. “This is my first experience as an anchor. Here too I had my apprehensions. But soon after the first episode was aired, many of my friends called and said I did a good job. Hopefully, I get better in the coming days,” she says.
Diya, who is waiting for a good project after Ramaleela, says “The break wasn’t intentional. I had played small-yet-noticeable characters in many movies. In between, the three Tamil movies happened. Now I would love to do some substantial characters in Malayalam. Hope the wait will be worth it.”
