This Diwali is far more special than any other for actor Sonia Balani. First, she is heading home to celebrate with her family. Secondly, all her neighbours and friends cannot wait to meet Urmila! Balani is portraying Urmila in the upcoming mythological film, Ramayana: Rise of a legend.
"Yes, all my family and friends are excited to meet and hear all about the film shoot,' says Balani. “Going home for Diwali is a priority, and I want to celebrate with my parents. I can miss work, but not the festivities back home; however, this time it is even more special. My mum told me that some neighbours are also very thrilled to know that I am part of this iconic story. We have all grown up watching Ramayana on TV, so this is definitely special, and I do understand the love everyone has for the character and for me.”
Now, she sees Diwali through a completely different emotional lens, “The journey of embodying a character from the epic saga has reshaped my perspective on the festivals, traditions and rituals,” says Balani.
She adds, “The season of festivities has always been special, but this year, it feels deeply personal. Somewhere along the way, Sita began to feel like my own sister, and I found myself experiencing the story through Urmila’s emotions.”
{{/usCountry}}She adds, “The season of festivities has always been special, but this year, it feels deeply personal. Somewhere along the way, Sita began to feel like my own sister, and I found myself experiencing the story through Urmila’s emotions.”
{{/usCountry}}“Earlier, Diwali was about firecrackers, puja, and subconsciously the joy of Lord Ram’s return. This year, I feel the deeper emotion behind Ram, Sita, and Lakshman’s return to Ayodhya; it has given the festival an entirely new meaning. Also, being with family is non-negotiable this year and every year, the one year I couldn’t make it home, I felt terribly homesick,” she says.
Bringing an epic character to life required a preparation strategy, especially given how little is documented about Urmila in traditional texts. “Urmila has been one of the most challenging roles of my career. Since there’s very little written about her, I used to do monologue exercises walking around my room and started writing letters as Urmila to Lakshman, Sita, and Janak. Also it was about physical conditioning as I naturally speak and walk very fast, but Nitesh sir would remind us to slow down,” recalls the actor.
Working alongside an ensemble cast offered up-close masterclasses in performance discipline. “The moment Ranbir (Kapoor, actor) stepped onto the set, there was a noticeable shift in his energy; he was completely immersed in the zone. I got to witness his process from table reads to shoots—he was incredibly punctual, practised dialogues on set, and brought incredible detail to the role. Yet the moment pack-up was called, he seamlessly transitioned back to being himself. Sai (Pallavi, actor) is grounded, smart, and carries Sita’s grace effortlessly. I’d occasionally catch her sneaking quick naps between takes. With Shiamak Davar’s choreography and beautiful music playing, both of us locked in heavy lehengas were secretly struggling not to jump up and dance.”
Looking ahead, the actress is already gearing up to expand her creative horizons beyond acting. “I’m currently working on an exciting independent short film aiming the film festivals largely, where I’ll be wearing two hats as an actor and a director sharing screen space with one of my favourite actors and that’s a surprise,” she reveals.”