"Seeing me dressed as goddess during the shoot, an old man sought my blessings," says actress Prathama Prasad

Prathama Prasad might have moved away from playing goddess in devotional shows, but she left a permanent mark with her spectacular performances. In an exclusive chat with ETimes TV, the actress opened up about playing the role of a goddess and much more

I grew up watching Ramya Krishnan playing the character of 'Devi' in many of her movies. I was inspired by Ramya Krishnan when it comes to portraying such divine roles. Apart from that, I have always been fascinated by getting decked in different avatars.

My mother has been very encouraging towards my interests since the beginning. Be it dance or any cultural activities, she has always been very encouraging me since childhood. She is my biggest support system.

It's bliss and I feel lucky to have received the role of the goddess so far. Initially, I was a bit skeptical about essaying such roles. The reason being, viewers would get to see me only as a goddess of a particular serial and not as Prathama Prasad.

There are many instances where I have come across many people coming to seek my blessings when I am in my Devi costume during the shoot. No matter how much I try to make them understand that I am only an artist, the immediate response I receive from them is that they respect the character I portray.

I still remember this incident. This happened way back when I was shooting for one of my devotional shows. I was in the attire of a goddess and we had an outdoor schedule that day. Seeing me in the costume, an old man thought I was a real goddess and tried to seek blessings from me. It was one of that unimaginable moment for me. I had to literally make him understand that I am an artist who is dressed up as a goddess.

Having experienced these as an artist, it was a very big boost for me. It was more like an encouragement to explore more about my on-screen character and do justice to it.

I try to have control over my energy level when it comes to portraying the Devi avatar. I meditate a lot and recite Devi stotras before stepping into the character of the goddess. I am a very spiritual person in real life too. Hence I visit the temple frequently and offer prayers before my shoot