Prayaga Martin sounded exactly like the chirpy Parvathy from Oru Murai Vanthu Paarthaya — full of vigour, gusto and naughtiness. Her M-town innings has just turned one, but it feels like she has always been our girl-next-door. The release of her latest movie, P.T. Kunju Mohammad’s Viswasapoorvam Mansoor is just a day away and Prayaga shares the excitement. “I have been very, very lucky,” she begins. “The moment I was offered the role, I knew it was my chance to prove myself as an actor. I immediately blocked my dates and literally grabbed it. Bagging a role in a serious movie directed by a stalwart is not something that happens always, especially for a newcomer like me.”

Despite her pairing with Aanandam-fame Roshan Mathew, she had apprehensions about the movie. “It is a very heavy script with deep emotions, be it love, suffering or friendship. Though I had been longing for a role that demanded exploration as an artist, I was initially worried if I could do justice to the role.” “Asked why he chose us, PT sir said that though it was not a movie youngsters expected, he wanted youth to be the tool to pass on the message he intended to say. And when the shoot began, I understood what he had said. You too will, when you watch the movie,” says the pretty actress.

Her movies — be it Pisaasu, Pa Va or Kattappanayile Rithwik Roshan — prove how carefully she chooses performance-oriented roles. Mumtaz in Viswasapoorvam Mansoor too is one such character. “Mumtaz is not a role I had expected to play in this age. Such a deep, wounded, struggling and strong character she is. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a blessed chance. As a beginner, I couldn’t have been luckier,” she repeats. All praise for her hero Roshan, Prayaga says, “Roshan belongs to the rare category of actors who are both talented and knowledgeable. Coming from a theatre background, Roshan is so focused and dedicated. I can foresee a great future for him.”

She also doesn’t forget to mention the dedication of her co-stars which helped her pull off the role well. “It was more like a competition. Everyone tried to bring out their best by supporting, complementing and inspiring each other. Acting with Zarina Wahab, who plays Mumtaz’s mother, was a dreamlike experience. In fact, my mom was more excited than me. Zarina ma’m, for her generation, is their dream girl. She is very professional and at the same time, so much fun; she played all sorts of pranks on us. She is someone who gets younger day by day. Asha (Sarath) chechi was like a mom for me and Roshan. A gem of a person, she was the sweetest one on the sets. All of us shared a great chemistry and were cent per cent devoted to our roles,” recalls the beauty, who makes hearts flutter with her broad smile. Prayaga has two more upcoming releases —Ramaleela with her favourite actor Dileep and Pokkiri Simon with Sunny Wayne. Looking back at the journey from her first role as a lovelorn ghost in Mysskin’s Pisaasu to a Vijay fan in the upcoming Pokkiri Simon, she says, “It has been a great destiny.”