Since his debut with Pyaar Ka Punchnama in 2011, Divyenndu Sharma has kept us entertained with his comic timing. Then we saw him play the dark and evil Munna Bhaiya in the web series Mirzapur, and we couldn’t help but notice how effortlessly he played the character. No one in the industry would have signed him for a similar character in films, which he says is very unfortunate. “I don’t know why filmmakers play it safe in films. When a filmmaker can offer you such diverse characters on the OTT, why can’t they do the same for films? It only means that we are limiting our films. We are going with the mindset that our audience wants to watch a particular genre and so on,” he says.
 
It is necessary to focus on the potential of the actor. “I had fun portraying the character and people had fun watching it. No one had expected me to play such a character. At the same time, I am not the only actor who can play such a character. I just got a chance to prove myself. But there are many such actors who want one such chance but aren’t getting any. The biggest fun in an actor’s life is when he gets to play different characters,” says Divyenndu. 

Since the beginning of his career, he has rejected more comic roles than he has done. “In films, people tend to offer you similar kind of roles. The good thing is that after Mirzapur, the myth surrounding me got busted. People are now offering me new characters and stories,” he quips. 

Divyenndu adds that he was always confident that he could play a character like Munna Bhaiya. “Don’t take this as over-confidence. I have done theatre in Delhi and I have trained to play a variety of characters. Before Pyaar Ka Punchnama, I hadn’t done many comedies. I was considered for dramatic and serious roles. But I was always confident about playing such characters. I am thankful that now varied roles are coming to me and I am having fun playing them,” says the actor known for projects like Chashme Baddoor, Dilliwali Zaalim Girlfriend, Batti Gul Meter Chalu, Kanpuriye and others.    

Divyenndu is gearing up for his upcoming original film Shukranu, which will stream on Zee5 from February 14. Explaining the plot, he says, “In 1975, during the Emergency, nasbandi or forced sterlisation was a big issue but we haven’t seen a film based on it and I felt that we should definitely talk about it.” 

He enjoyed the way the story was written. “It was a serious issue but the makers haven’t presented it in a serious way. They have kept a fine balance between seriousness and comedy and those who are affected by it, will not be offended,” he points out.

The film is about a man who is forced to undergo sterilisation and how that affects his married life. Directed by National Award-winning Bishnu Dev Halder, it’s the digital debut production of Reliance Entertainment.

As the trailer mentions, the film is based on real events but is a fictional story. Divyenndu says that though the film highlights a real event, as an actor, he had to take certain cinematic liberties. “Of course, there is definitely a sense of responsibility too. We had to be sensitive while enacting the scenes,” he says, adding that makers have added enough material to the story. 

While reading the script, says the actor, he kept thinking about how the whole event was a violation of one’s fundamental right.

Shukranu also stars Shweta Basu Prasad and Sheetal Thakur. Talking about Shweta, who plays his on-screen wife, Divyenndu says that it was a great experience working with The Tashkent Files actress. “She is a very talented actress and a fine human being. We shared a great camaraderie. She is sorted and fun loving,” he says.

Lately, the actor is seen more on the digital platform but Divyenndu says that isn’t the case. “I am doing both. The medium isn’t that important, the content is. The medium is just the path to reach the audience. As an actor, we should get something new to do. I am lucky, I am getting to do good work on both the mediums (films and OTT),” he says, adding, “Having said that, people are able to open up more on the OTT platforms because they do not need to worry about box-office numbers.” 

He further adds that at the same time, the competition is stiff. “Your show could be competing with an international show and that’s when the merit of the show becomes important. You really have to be sure about what you are making and for whom,” he says before signing off.