‘I’m a really grasping actor. I need to discover the whole lot.’
Photograph: Kind courtesy Nimisha Sajayan/Instagram
Nimisha Sajayan is to Malayalam cinema what Vidya Balan is to Hindi cinema. Put her in any character, and she or he is that particular person.
In the Web collection, Poacher, Nimisha performs a fiercely-dedicated environmentalist, who fights a battle in opposition to elephant poachers.
“I am a very greedy actor. I want to explore everything. I want to portray an unhinged character, I want to be a part of rom-com films. I have done Jigarthanda 2X, which is an out-and-out commercial film,” Nimisha tells Subhash Okay Jha.
So what’s Nimisha’s consolation zone?
“I would say it’s definitely natural cinema. I want to play characters that are more relatable. You know, when you watch a film, you should be able to connect with that character. However, I would like to explore everything as an actor.”
IMAGE: Nimisha Sajayan in Poacher.
In Poacher, Nimisha performs an ecologically aware cop. She says it is important for her to hunt out a message in her movies.
“I’ve all the time been drawn in the direction of movies with a social message. The very first thing I search for in a script is the message it conveys by means of the story and whether or not it is going to be mentioned with the viewers even after leaving the theatre.
“I want to be part of films that make people think, films that excite them and which they find relatable. I just want to stay true to what I do and not just be a character for the fun of it.”
Nimisha admits engaged on Poacher was an unexplored expertise.
“It was one thing I had by no means skilled earlier than, which was an extremely artistic course of. So, getting an opportunity to expertise it dwell on a set was like nothing else.
“Richie Mehta is a really devoted director, and I sensed it from the primary time I met him and Debudada (Dibyendu Bhattacharya). Just sitting with him and asking him something about performing, seeing him in all the eagerness he has for his work, it hits in another way.
“Roshan Mathew and I, we’ve done back-to-back three projects, so he is my comfort actor now, and Yohan on set. The experience of being surrounded by such esteemed individuals and talented actors was both enjoyable and highly educational at Richie Mehta’s institute.”
IMAGE: Nimisha Sajayan in Poacher.
Recalling how she agreed to be a part of Poacher, Nimisha says, “I bear in mind assembly Richie for 20 minutes, and he did not say a lot aside from tales about elephants poached in a forest and the fundamentals of the case. It was a right away sure. I felt we wanted to learn the story out to the individuals, particularly when this occurred in Kerala.
“I was unaware of it, and I think most people still are. I’m a huge admirer of Richie Mehta. Even if he had come to me for a small character, I would have said yes. Luckily, he offered me this important character to work with. For me, getting the opportunity to play my character Mala made it more exciting.”
The actress, who got here into pan-India recognition with the Malayalam masterpiece The Great Indian Kitchen, feels there’s a basic distinction between capturing for a characteristic movie and a Web collection.
“The number of days shooting takes for a Web series is much more than what we usually take for a Malayalam film,” she says.
“But for me, the most important problem was that within the morning, we had been capturing episode one scenes, and within the night, we had been capturing episode 5 – 6 scenes. So retaining observe of what was taking place in between was very difficult.
“What Mala goes by means of, what Alan’s character goes by means of, what Debudada‘s character goes by means of, what poachers undergo. That was a bit sophisticated for me.
“But anytime I had trouble with, say, an emotion or continuity, he (Richie) was always there to help. He always had answers to any doubts I had. He had a clear-cut picture. So whether it was a question from the first episode or the fifth, he knew his characters well, and he was always ready with answers.”
IMAGE: Suraj Venjaramoodu and Nimisha Sajayan in The Great Indian Kitchen.
Discussing the affect of The Great Indian Kitchen on her profession, Nimisha observes, “I believe earlier than the discharge of The Great Indian Kitchen, my work was recognized to a restricted viewers within the north. After the discharge, I’ve skilled a big improve in recognition, with a rising variety of individuals turning into extra acquainted with my work now.
“The visibility has additionally led to a number of thrilling alternatives from the north. I did a Bengali movie proper after the discharge of The Great Indian Kitchen, then an English one, adopted by a Marathi movie, and now a Hindi one too. After watching The Great Indian Kitchen, many individuals had been like, ‘It’s a really small difficulty,’ but it surely’s not for others.
“As actors, if we will symbolize these points, it will be good as a result of now we have the chance to say one thing significant. Otherwise, we’ll lose the possibility. I believe as an actor, it is important to decide on the appropriate movie. We have to transcend these limitations.
“Cinema is art, and when it incorporates political or social issues, I think its value increases.”
