Divyenndu on saying no to big films and people: ‘It wasn't giving me happiness’

Saying he felt suffocated at times, Divyenndu on turning down offers with A-listers as he gears up for his next, Agni

A cop character, a credible director and a world that’s hardly explored on screen before. Divyenndu had every reason to jump at Agni, which tells the story of Mumbai’s firefighters. But the actor points out that the world’s novelty can excite one only to an extent. That’s where writer-director Rahul Dholakia and writer Vijay Maurya’s magic came in. “The screenplay has to be a page turner for you to make a film out of it. When I read it, I felt not only is this world new but also the things happening inside it are novel,” the actor says.

A still from Agni

The Amazon Prime Video film also stars Pratik Gandhi, Saiyami Kher and Sai Tamhankar. Playing a man in uniform for the first time felt slightly daunting to Divyenndu. But it also fit perfectly in his plan of constantly attempting different roles. “It was my first portrayal of a highly decorated cop. I had to play a certain age, [bring] a certain aura. Also because it was beautifully written, there was a lot of pressure,” he smiles, before adding, “My want is to not get too comfortable with one kind of role or a particular genre. My calling is to play different characters.” 

On that count, Divyenndu has been having quite a run. Late last year, he earned rave reviews for his performance in The Railway Men (2023), following it up with a hilarious turn in Madgaon Express earlier this year. Coming up, he has Agni, Saali Mohabbat, and Mirzapur: The Movie. What makes it all the more remarkable is that he was typecast as the hero’s friend for the initial part of his career, but successfully broke that mould. How did he do that? By being stubborn about the work he wanted to do, even if that meant rejecting films with A-listers. “If I am saying no to a role, it’s only because I know I can pull off other characters. My self-confidence comes from the training I’ve had. To be stubborn is not a good thing. Many people told me, ‘You are saying no to a lot of big people, films and franchises. Why?’ It wasn’t giving me happiness. As an artiste, I want to express myself and if I can’t do that in the best way, it’s going to suffocate me. At one point of my career, I was getting suffocated. Films and money were coming my way, but I was not happy within. I said, ‘I won’t do this. One life, one chance.’”

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