Divyenndu is keen to do a horror film, wants to play a vampire

Mumbai, Nov 29 (PTI) “Mirzapur” star Divyenndu says he would love to play a vampire in a horror film as it is a genre that he has not explored yet.

An alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Divyenndu had his break-out role in the comedy “Pyaar Ka Punchnama” (2011).

After a string of supporting and lead roles, he gained prominence with crime series “Mirzapur”, real-life drama “The Railway Men”, and this year’s hit comedy movie “Madgaon Express”.

Divyenndu admits that with success comes with its own baggage but he has learned to navigate it with grace.

“It is important to enjoy the moment and leave it there and move forward, otherwise it will burden you as an artist. I’m thankful to my fans who appreciate my work. Still, because of that pressure, I don’t want to play the same characters again and again,” Divyenndu told PTI in an interview.

“I would love to dabble in horror. My lifelong dream is to do a nice horror film and play a vampire. The fun is to play different genres, be different characters, and go out there and express without the fear of failing or how it will be received,” he added.

In his upcoming feature, “Agni”, Divyenndu plays the role of a cop named Samit, who is investigating the mysterious surge in fire incidents in the city with his brother-in-law Vithal, a firefighter (Pratik Gandhi).

The action thriller is directed by Rahul Dholakia of “Parzania” and “Raees” fame.

“Playing a cop or inspector in a film is something we’ve seen (in the past) and that it is an important character, so that was a fascination. But the world RD (Rahul Dholakia) created in this one (‘Agni’) was fascinating, it was like going to a different planet, and I had not seen this kind of planet before.

“I liked what was happening there, how life was shaping there, I liked my character, a studio like Excel, and the actors and technicians on board. One could tell that the intentions were good,” the actor said.

“Agni” marks the second collaboration between Divyenndu and Gandhi after the release of their blockbuster hit dark-comedy feature, “Madgaon Express”.

“We shot this film (‘Agni’) first and then ‘Madgaon Express’ happened. Thankfully from day one, I and Pratik shared a bond, it was a mutual admiration club for each other’s work and we silently enjoyed it. Both of us come from theatre backgrounds so the value systems are similar, we are secure in our own space, and we like each other,” Divyenndu said.

“It just happened, you don’t know how and when our friendship grew from there. In a film like this, we are at loggerheads but off-screen we share a strong chemistry and it helped our performance,” he said.

Divyenndu is happy about “Mirzapur: The Film”, which is based on his award-winning crime thriller series, “Mirzapur”. He played a ruthless goon Munna Bhaiya in the first two seasons of the Prime Video show that has attained mass popularity.

“I’m very excited for my fans. I never think that this is what we should do for fans. But for the first time, because the response has been so much, and they’ve been so vocal about everything, I’m happy that this should happen.

“The whole team would come together again. But this is what they (fans) want. So, it would be nice to give them this gift, and hopefully, they’ll like it.”

Created by Puneet Krishna and directed by Gurmmeet Singh, “Mirzapur: The Film”, will also see actors Pankaj Tripathi and Ali Fazal return as Kaleen Bhaiya and Guddu Pandit. It is scheduled for a release in 2026.

Produced by Excel Entertainment in association with Prime Video, “Agni” will premiere on the streamer on December 6.