Divya Khosla Kumar on returning to acting with Yaariyan 2: Directing a film is tougher than acting
Filmmaker-actor Divya Khosla Kumar says she has 'tried hard to create my own identity’ in the film industry.
She started her career at 17, with the film Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo, and it was after a lot of years that she made a full time comeback with Satyameva Jayate 2. But Divya Khosla Kumar took up something else in meantime: direction, with Yaariyan.
As Yaariyan 2, a spiritual sequel readies for a release now co starring Meezaan Jaffery and Pearl V Puri, she says direction is tougher than acting. "Hats off to all the directors. I have been one, and I really enjoyed it. I am concentrating on acting right now, but would love to return to direction some years down the line. It's your vision when you are the director, you have to be in command. You have to make sure everything works out on time," she quips.
Talking about why she juggled so many roles over the years, and Kumar quips that it was never according to any plan. "It happened very organically. When I started out, I knew nothing about acting and direction. I learnt everything on set and was constantly nervous, maine girte padhte set pe seekha. After I directed, I decided to explore acting. I haven't acted much, but with the kind of content coming out, I made up my mind. I started with music videos and got so much love from the audience," says the filmmaker- actor, who starred in the music videos Yaad Piya Ki Aane Lagi and Teri Aankhon Mein.
Why did she decide to hand over the directing reigns to the director duo- Radhika Rao and Vinay Sapru this time? Kumar says, "Because for me, the brand value has to be protected. Radhika-Vinay got this story and narrated it to me, and everyone was excited about this tale of friendship between three cousins. I suggested the name Yaariyan 2, it is so apt. Somehow, the title and the story went hand in hand."