Zaheera continues to haunt: Priyanka
Priyanka debuted in films with the much-acclaimed Bharath starrer Veyyil in 2006. Now this Malayalam-Tamil-Kannada actress portrays the role of a rape victim named Zaheera of the Gujarat riots in T.V. Chandran's Vilapangalkappuram (2008), for which she recently won the best actress in Kerala State Film awards 2008.
Talking about her role after a preview of the film, which is�be released on June 12, Priyaka said that the role continues to haunt her. "I was a beginner and wondered if I could do justice to the role," she said, adding that she read the script twice and took a long time to delve into the character.
"I did not do any special preparations for the role, but told myself several times that I am Zaheera, the riot victim, who was gangraped, had to flee my village and come to Kerala. I think that was required to understand the character's pain and turmoil."
Vilapangalkappuram, which won four State awards, has been shot in Ahmedabad, Mysore and Kozhikode. The makers had not disclosed to the Gujarat government officials that they were shooting for a commercial movie; instead they�said they were making a documentary, said Aryadan Shoukath, who wrote the screenplay of the film.
Only nine days of shooting could be held in the village, as some Sangh Parivar activists came to know� they were shooting a film, not a documentary. The unit took refuge at 'Darpana', a school run by noted dancer Mallika Sarabhai and then fled to Mysore, Shoukath added.
