In the latest Prime Video film Babita Singh Reporting, Nimisha Sajayan plays a police officer who fights systemic patriarchy even as she seeks justice for her friend, Bansi (Barun Sobti), who dies in mysterious circumstances. Nimisha’s Baby is married to a man, Sharad (Anshumaan Pushkar), who treats her with toxicity. He makes disparaging comments about her physical appearance and profession and even interferes in her work. At one point in the film, Baby decides she has had enough and confronts Sharad. Speaking about the dynamic, Nimisha says, “It is the first time Baby reacts to her husband, and he could not see it coming. It shows Baby’s evolution as a person, but the reaction does not make her happy as such. It is not part of Baby’s personality; she is essentially a people pleaser who prioritises her family over herself, similar to most people around us, whether men or women.”
Some may argue that it takes a more forthright approach to deal with misogyny, but Nimisha finds this easier said than done. She asserts, “It is very difficult for women to react right away, and sometimes it is okay to choose when to do this, being courageous and fighting for what is right for you. When they decide to live on their terms and raise a voice for themselves, it becomes a different ball game within the family and people might get hurt in the process. The film, too, reflects this reality. It will not work if Baby starts reacting to mistreatment from the get-go.”
This trait partly explains a complex sequence where Baby comforts a weeping Sharad, a reaction that Nimisha notes stems from her understanding of his patriarchal upbringing. As the actor elucidates, “He is also a victim of patriarchy, as with several men. They act out of social conditioning rather than pure malice. That said, her action towards Sharad does not merely stem from that understanding, as it is more complex. From the audience’s perspective, Sharad may be a very good husband, who provides for Baby and takes care of her and his family. Meanwhile, Baby has several things going on in her mind at the time and knows what he told her is wrong. Except, Baby feels comforting him is the right thing to do then as she is also a product of patriarchy.”
Babita Singh Reporting marks Nimisha’s first collaboration with Barun Sobti. Despite his limited presence, Barun has made a big impact with his performance as Bansi. Concurring with this assessment, Nimisha adds, “Barun is a brilliant actor. You will remember his character. I think the impact that Barun has created with that one or two scenes is a big deal—as Baby carries Bansi through the story, the audience travels along with her.”
Given her acclaimed role in The Great Indian Kitchen, where her character also navigated a patriarchal household, audiences naturally draw parallels to Babita Singh Reporting. However, Nimisha dismisses the comparisons, pointing out, “Viewers resonate with Babita Singh Reporting and liken it to The Great Indian Kitchen probably because both films explore patriarchy in subtle ways. Baby is entirely different from my character in The Great Indian Kitchen; both of them go through a similar situation, but it happens in all women’s lives.”
Expanding on the subtle dynamics of Sharad's behaviour from a broader lens, Nimisha adds, “We usually view domestic violence only if physical abuse is involved. This is not the case. Even if one does not make themselves available for their partner at an emotional level, it is a form of abuse. Sharad does not understand what Baby is going through.”
According to Nimisha Sajayan, a sense of guilt for the loss of her childhood friend drives Baby’s actions. “Baby was not there for him when he needed her presence. She feels guilty for it, which is why she expresses her reluctance to go for his funeral with Sharad by rhetorically telling him, ‘Did I meet him when he was alive? What is the point of going now?’ She feels haunted by his passing and wants to know what happened to him.”
Babita Singh Reporting adds to Nimisha Sajayan’s growing portfolio in Hindi cinema. Earlier, she played important roles in series such as Poacher and Dabba Cartel, in addition to her critically acclaimed work in Malayalam. “There is no comparison between my work across languages. I feel slightly more comfortable with Hindi, but this does not mean my Malayalam is less important. Recently, I even forayed into Tamil and Bengali cinema, despite my lack of knowledge in both languages. I really enjoy doing films regardless of the language; the team and the character contribute to my choices more,” Nimisha explains.
Actors tend to focus more on a particular industry to ensure a loyal audience there, but Nimisha feels that viewers will support artists as long as they do quality films. “I am very new to the Hindi industry, but the kind of love we are receiving for Babita shows that it is the film that matters. If we do films with good content, people will support us no matter how long we take to come back into the industry.”
Nimisha’s filmography encompasses films and web series, but the actor does not see much difference between both from her point of view. “I enjoy both processes. In series, you get to spend more time with the character, but everything else is the same,” the actor expresses.
Amidst the appreciation for Babita Singh Reporting, a section of the audience also nitpicks Nimisha’s work, opining that she tends to do similar films. Responding to this opinion, the actor shares, “I do not agree with it. The first thing I would tell such critics is, ‘Go and watch Dabba Cartel and look at what I have done there.’ Similarly, the tribal character in Jigarthanda DoubleX is completely different, as is Baby. I have no fixed acting process either, which is why I do varied roles. I am really happy with the kind of work that I am doing right now. There is more time for me to explore certain genres as I have a long career ahead.”
Up next, Nimisha has the Netflix film Legacy with R Madhavan, a film with Ashok Selvan, and a couple of Hindi projects.
