Devika Bhise

Made her Hollywood debut at the age of 17 with American romcom The Accidental Husband, played the role of a Devadasi in Anamika: Her Glorious Past and has been a part of theatre and bharatyam performances. Bhise is now all set for her next big project, The Man who Knew Infinity opposite Dev Patel. She tells Sangeeta Yadav that this crossover film was a challenge to begin with but she enjoyed it to the fullest

‘Crossover cinema is good for India’

Tell us about your role in The Man Who Knew Infinity (TMWKI)IJ

I play Janaki, wife of Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. She is the woman behind Ramanujan’s success. She supports him at every stage and helped him realise his dream. Even after his death, she took the responsibility of running the house, raised their son and took care of her in-laws. It’s a very strong and demanding role and we are having workshops right now. We’ll start shooting in Chennai soon with Jeremy Irons who plays GH Hardy, Ramanujan’s mentor and the rest of the starcast.

How did you get this roleIJ

I was playing the role of Goddess Namagiri in The Partition, a theatre play, which is based on Ramanujan’s biography. The Goddess had a great influence on Ramanujan and his family.  As the story goes, Ramanujan’s mother said that he was born after they had prayed to Namagiri to bless them with a son. The casting crew from the production house happened to be in the audience. They were impressed by my performance and called me for auditions.

What research work have you done for your roleIJ

I read the biography, The Man who Knew Infinity, on which this film is based and met author Robert Kanigel to get an in depth detail of Janaki’s personality, looks and mannerism. Robert met Janaki personally when he was working on this book, though at that time she was very old. We also have an Indian cultural consultant on board who helps familiarise us with the 1910s’ culture and tradition. The film is in English, so we are getting trained on how to speak English with a Tamil ascent. I’m also practising wearing a nine yard saree.

Many Indian stories are becoming a topic for Hollywood movies and the cinematic crossovers. Your takeIJ

Crossover stories are doing great in other countries and many Hollywood directors are in search of good Indian stories that can be told on the big screens be it Gandhi, Slumdog Millionnaire, Hundred-foot Journey or The Man Who Knew Infinity. Directors are open to experimenting and take the craft of amalgamation of two cinemas and the culture very seriously. Om Puri and Tabu are the most popular Indian actors in crossover scene and I enjoy watching them.

What impact does the crossover cinema have on the audience living abroadIJ

Crossover stories are a great way to showcase India at the international platform. I used to teach in a school in Europe and once asked my student what they knew of India. They said: ‘In India, there are cows roaming on the roads and make a mess. The place is very dirty. Instead of cars, people commute on elephants. India is somewhere in Africa.’ I used to feel frustrated with their replies. But through crossover movies, people will get a true picture of India and its culture.

Bollywood dreamsIJ

Working in Bollywood is not on the agenda right now. At present I don’t want to shuffle between Bollywood and Hollywood. Of course, Hollywood is bigger and I want to make a mark here first. If I get a good project later on, I’ll give it a thought.