Despite films like Mayanginen Thayanginen and Keeripulla in her kitty, Disha Pandey is best remembered for her Tamil debut in C S Amudhan’s Tamil Padam (2010). The actress is now hoping to create a similar impression with her forthcoming big budget romantic movie, Manathil Mayam Seithaai ( MMS) being produced by Full House Entertainment. The Tamil-Telugu production has been directed by Suresh P Kumar and stars Sethu and Prince. Says Disha, “I never dreamed of becoming an actress. I am here because of Madhuri Dixit, and I am enjoying every bit of my journey.”
Disha hails from Rajasthan. She studied at a boarding school in Ajmer and went on to graduate from Delhi University. All through those years, it was one thing that always kept Disha glued to the telly. “I was probably in class five when I first saw Madhuri on TV and was completely hooked. So when the offer to act in Tamil Padam came by – I was in class 12 then – I grabbed it,” says Disha to City Express. “After that, my dad insisted I complete my graduation first. Once I got back to movies, I did Bolo Raam, Race in Telugu and the recently released Saare Jahan Se Mahenga which was in Hindi. As for MMS, I’m happy to be doing a bilingual with a young team.”
In MMS, Disha plays a middle- class city girl who is an architect. The film is being shot in Chennai and Hyderabad. Disha enjoys these locations. She says, “I remember the first time I came here in 2009, I fell in love with curd rice and ragi!” Whenever Disha is not shooting, she sets off to explore the region. She says, “ When I have time, l like to visit historical places, temples, churches and dargahs. I especially cherish my darshan at Madurai Meenakshi temple.”
The challenges before new actresses are many these days, especially when it comes to bold scenes. Disha says, “I have done a liplock in Race. I don’t mind doing any scene that I can watch on screen later without squirming in my seat. As long as it’s aesthetically shot, I am not closed to any kind of cinema.” Smart girl.
