Actor Devleena Kumar is marking her OTT debut with Sunny Ghosh Ray's Zee5 web series Shwetkali, which premiered this Friday. India Blooms correspondent Souvik Ghosh catches up with Devleena on the series, her journey and more...

Q.  What was your instant reaction to the script?

A. It seemed very different because there was an eerie feeling despite there being no horror. The entire series has a dilemma between the living world and heaven coupled with family drama and a lot of emotions.

Q. Why did you like the character?

A. I liked the character because it was very bold. She is not Hindu but married to a Hindu family. She had no idea about Shwetkali but gets trapped in a number of unnatural events.

Q. The star cast in the film was definitely a centre of attraction for you.

A. Obviously. A lot of good actors and actresses are there in the series. Shwetkali is a complete contrast to Sunny’s previous works. The entire journey was very enriching.

Q. Do you have any fear in real life?

A. Dogs (laughs). It's like a phobia for me. I stay away from dogs though I am completely against any harm to them. I have no fear of unnatural events or ghosts but it would be wrong to say that I haven't felt any eerie feelings ever in my life.

Q. How do you see the controversy regarding any content which has a hint of religion?

A. Controversy and trolling are very much a part of our lives in this era of the internet. Anything can trigger a controversy at this moment. It doesn’t bother me anymore. I feel controversy always works in favour of the project. I didn't feel Shwetkali would trigger any row for the fact that Bengal, unlike many other states, is very open-minded. I won't say our state is bereft of blind faith but of course much less than other states. People here accept works with much open minds.

Q. Do you think OTT is offering diverse opportunities to actors in terms of roles?

A. Yes. A lot of varied works are taking place on OTT. Earlier I was offered a role on OTT but I had turned it down because I didn't like the content. But now good content is coming up in Bengali OTT. As an audience, film is still my priority.

Q. What are your career plans from now on? We all know dance is an integral part of your life.

A. Thankfully, I have submitted my PhD. papers in December last year. I hope I will have the degree by the end of this year (laughs). I am carrying on with my dance. Moreover, I played a negative role in a daily soap last year. Unlike popular reactions, I love working on television because facing the camera daily is fun of its own. But above all, I am interested in working in films only.

(Images by Avishek Mitra/IBNS)