Exclusive! Campus Beats Actress Dipankana Das Reveals, "I Have A Huge Crush On Rohit Saraf"

Campus Beats season 4 started streaming on Amazon MX Player a few weeks ago. The show stars Shantanu Maheshwari and Shruti Sinha in the lead roles, and it features many other actors who played pivotal roles in the series. One of them is Dipankana Das who portrays the role of Pankhi in the show.

Filmibeat recently interacted with Dipankana and spoke to her about the series, dancing, preparation she did for it, and a lot more...

What response have you received for your performance?

I really can't put together in words how thrilling it has been since the release, people have been loving and relating to my character to a whole new level. Very recently I was outside and a sales person came up to me and told that he knew me from Campus Beats and he spoke to me in the exact lingo my character speaks in the show! It was an exciting and emotional moment for me since my parents happened to be there with me. I'm glad that I made them proud and it's just the beginning, the older fans of the show has also loved and invited me with open arms, certainly was a roller coaster ride of happiness and self appraisal.

How did you get the role?

I got this role as practically as an audition but it definitely was a bit different than any other shows auditions. We had the basic audition, then the finals, and then the chemistry test with my partner in the show. I see it now that why this process was important because the maker of our show is a perfectionist, and a mother figure to all of us, I think her belief in me also mattered.

What prep you did for your role in the series?

I had to work a lot on voice modulation and lingo as Pakhi comes from the slums and has a specific way of speaking with innocence and grammatical errors. But as she goes forward in the episodes, her voice becomes more mature and her experiences change. Since I have had voice modulation training during my pageant days, it was a bit easier for me to catch up and mould my characters voice according to different scenes, dialogues and characters I'm speaking with on the show.

Was dancing the most difficult part for you?

Dancing in the hip hop style certainly was a bit of a challenge since I am from a classical dance background and I've learnt Kathak and Bharatnatyam professionally since I was 3 years old. But, I knew I could do it with all the rehearsal sessions we had from 2 months prior we started shooting. If it weren't for the choreographers and my costars, I would doubt myself, but look at us now, a successful show with one take dance performances.

How was your experience of working with Shantanu and other actors?

My experience with Shantanu was certainly very homely since we both come from Kolkata, so we connected well on that. I found a comfort zone in being around him, and it had to do a lot with how fun and energetic he is to be around. We have had our fare share of deep conversations on life during the early stages of rehearsals but it was he who made me feel included amongst the others. The other co-actors surely were welcoming. Being on set with these people never felt like a hectic work schedule, rather it felt like a productive family time.

As a newcomer, which director and actor you really wish to work with?

Well, I would love the work of Imtiaz Ali sir and Sanjay Leela Bhansali sir. I think if I get to work with them I would think that I have made it in life. It would be an honour if I can become someone who satisfies their vision. I would love to act with Rohit Saraf too since I have a huge crush on him. But, keeping that aside I really want to work with Alia Bhatt someday just to admire and learn how natural she's with her craft.