Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], March 14: Vaishali Deepak from Bangalore, born June 14th 1998, first got a taste of stardom as a fourth grader playing Rapunzel on her school stage. That was the moment she fell in love with acting. From the stage lights to the liminal experience of being in another’s shoes for a brief period of time, there was nothing more exciting for the barely ten-year old.
At university, she chose the most ‘creative’ stream available, Mass Communications and Media, which encompassed the arts from literature to psychology. However, Vaishali found herself spending a considerable chunk of time outside the classroom, attending theatre workshops, working with professional theatre groups, and even assisting a director on a short film, all in a bid to maximise her exposure to the performing arts at an early stage. Her internship with AK Various Productions, working under director Akarsh Khurana (scriptwriter of Krrish, director of Mismatched, TVF Tripling) and actor & screenwriter Akash Khurana (of Koi…Mil Gaya & Barfi! fame), features as a highlight in her early days of learning the business.
Her private training with Gauri Dattu and Abhinaya Taranga only refined her skills, and Vaishali went on to act professionally in a few plays, including “Lights Out” and “Closer” directed by Siddhanth Sundar, performed at Chowdiah Memorial Hall and Alliance Francais, Bengaluru, and the Kala Ghoda Theatre Festival, Mumbai.
As she learnt the ropes of the art, acting opportunities in short films came beckoning via word of mouth, and Vaishali landed her first feature film, “Charlie” (2015), starring opposite Darling Krishna, directed by Shiva. While she knew her way around the stage and had been both behind and in front of the camera, facing the arc lights was a whole other ballgame. Once she warmed up to them, though, her career choice was sealed forever. If she needed any reaffirmation about acting in films, this was it.
“Charlie” received rave reviews by the audiences and critics alike. One went on to comment on her performance in the film saying, “Newcomer Vaishali Deepak really made her presence felt.”
Needless to say, she got cast in more exciting Kannada projects, including “Shivalinga” (2017) with P. Vasu, an iconic South Indian film director (most recently of “Chandramukhi” fame). Although a shorter role, working under his guidance and with superstar Shivraj Kumar, both institutions in themselves were nothing short of an enlightening educational experience. The team’s magical chemistry and expertise drove the film to be a massive success at the box office, and her character continues to be fondly remembered by audiences.
Meanwhile, as a passionate student of dance, Vaishali also trained in freestyle dance, Bharatnatyam, hip hop, and Latin and Contemporary.
Her second Kannada language film, “Bharjari” (2017), a multi-starrer with Dhruva Sarja and Chetan Kumar also proved to be a commercial blockbuster.
To challenge herself further, Vaishali ventured into more regional language films, including “Tharkappu” (2016) in Tamil and “Divyamani” (2018) in Telugu. Her roles only finessed her much-talked-about screen presence, and she was motivated to further her acting portfolio with fresher, meatier roles.
Along came “Trunk” (2018), a Kannada language horror that challenged her skills both physically and mentally. Although a high intensity role, her conviction and hardwork were paid off by the positive reviews the film received.
Vaishali also counts the film “Amaravati”, a Kannada thriller directed by Giriraj BM as a memorable one on her roster as it earned the film the Karnataka State Film Awards for best film and best actor.
9 years since her first feature film, Vaishali Deepak is proud to have performed in 9 mainstream films to overall great reception and a strong, committed fan base cheering her along.
Four years ago, her mother and biggest cheerleader of her career, unfortunately, left us, leaving her to face her life’s biggest loss yet, but she’s grateful the focus and dedication to her craft pulled her through and kept her afloat, still raring to go. Vaishali is currently reviewing scripts, is in talks for more exciting projects, and can’t wait to be back on screen, delighting her audiences yet again. To know more about her, visit https://www.instagram.com/vaishiedeepak
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