Nimisha Sajayan: I can't deny a character just because she doesn't smile
A nameless, sober character in The Great Indian Kitchen; the passionate and loud Malaiarasi in Jigarthanda Double X; the tough and bold Mala Jogi in Poacher; the quintessential Malayali woman Sreeja in Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum... Nimisha Sajayan, 27, has embraced many roles, but each is a stark contrast from her real persona — a “hyperactive” and chirpy young girl, eager for a few hearty laughs. Indeed, when TNIE paid her a visit at her home in Kochi, she, in her ripped jeans and kurta, was a riot of fun.
The seamless ease with which she dons the skin of someone that’s a far departure from the real Nimisha is precisely what had catapulted this Mumbai-raised girl with a broken Malayalam to the pinnacle of Mollywood.
Nearly eight years have passed since her debut role in Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum, but Nimisha remains hungry still. Hungry for roles that break barriers, roles that enable her to unleash her full creativity, and in turn, help subvert expectations. Now, following the success of her first Hindi project, Poacher, the sky has truly opened up for this magnificent actor.
Here, in a free-wheeling chat with TNIE, Nimisha Sajayan opens up about her career, film choices, future and so much more.
Excerpts:
You came to Kerala from Mumbai and started your career with Thondimuthalum Driksakahiyum when you were just 19. Could you tell us when this interest in cinema started?
Many say they became actors by chance. But that’s not the case with me. I always wanted to be an actor and gave umpteen auditions. When I was a kid my mother used to take me for auditions in Andheri for Hindi films. But by the time I was in 12th grade, with this long hair and thick eyebrows, my features were more of a Malayali. You know, a face with ‘Malayalitham’. So I thought it would be great to audition for Malayalam movies. And I wasn’t even fluent in Malayalam. Since the role in Thondimuthalum... was of a quintessential Malayali young woman, Dileesh ettan (Dileesh Pothan) was sceptical initially, but for some reason, he decided to cast me.
You were into sports though at the time, right? A taekwondo champion... Didn’t you want to pursue it?
I still practise taekwondo whenever I get time. If you ask me now to choose between both — taekwondo and acting — I pick acting. Maybe, when I was younger, I would have chosen taekwondo. It could be because I hadn’t started exploring acting then.
Your first movie was with big names like Fahadh Faasil, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Dileesh Pothan, Syam Pushkaran. Was it intimidating?
Not at all. Though I was just 19 at the time, I was aware of who all these people were. I was a huge fan of Fahadh Faasil, but on the set, it was he who took the initiative to speak to me. Since my Malayalam was bad, I was slightly worried whether I would be teased, but Surajettan used to explain how to pronounce each word. They were all welcoming and supportive.
Do you still attend auditions?
Yes, I like auditioning for a role. As an actor, auditioning gives me an idea of whether I can pull off the role. It also provides clarity to the director on whether I am suitable for the part. I auditioned for all my recent works, including Thuramukham, Jigarthanda and Poacher. Bagging a role through an audition gives a new high.
You come across as a very chirpy, cheerful person. But not many realise this, especially because most of your characters are quite serious...
I hear this a lot (laughs). Everyone in the industry knows that I’m like this. But I don’t know why they don’t offer me a role like my real self.
Do you think, in some way, you got stereotyped?
When I read some scripts with characters that are cheerful, etc, I feel like they lack depth. But that also doesn’t mean I haven’t done roles that are fun. Vasanthi in Oru Thekkan Thallu Case is quite a fun role. In Lal Jose sir’s Nalpathiyonnu (41), I played such a character. But for some reason, I don’t always feel there is a lot of depth, which robs me of my creative satisfaction.
At the same time, while doing films like Nayattu and The Great Indian Kitchen (TGIK), I feel great as an artist. I derive my creative satisfaction by playing a character that is not me.
Does it affect you when people say you’re not playing diverse roles?
No, it doesn’t affect me. I did TGIK, Nayattu and Malik in the same year. In all of them I played three different, well-etched characters. They are bold, but there is a difference in their boldness. How can I say ‘no’ to these roles? As an actor, I could never deny them just because my characters were not smiling. In our cinema, most heroines are pretty and beautified. But years later, there will be someone who realises that my characters were a change from the norm. I’m a very greedy actor, who wants to be part of good films. Along with the criticisms, I also get messages saying I have done a wonderful job. I try to focus more on the positive side than the negatives. Most of these negative comments started after the release of TGIK. That’s where things changed, and I’m aware of it. Last year, I did two extremely different characters in completely contrasting films—Jigarthanda and Chithha. So, I am here and I am working.
Do you think most of the criticisms are because of TGIK?
I can’t say that. People can write and say anything, that’s their space, but I take only what I need from it. I don’t let them affect me. I felt so good being part of the movie and I also know that many men felt uncomfortable after watching it. Some women even messaged me saying their husbands washed the utensils after coming back from office. It’s a big compliment, right?
So the break from Malayalam was not deliberate?
I’m not doing any Malayalam films now because I’m not getting the characters that I want to play here, whereas it’s happening in other languages. It is not the language, but the characters that matter. Even now, if I get another serious role in Malayalam, if it’s well-written, I will definitely do it.
Do you think light-hearted roles don’t have depth?
Of course, not. But I haven’t received such a role yet. However, I did a fun Hindi web series recently, which I really enjoyed.
Have you ever felt like taking a break from such emotionally taxing roles?
They don’t affect me (laughs). I can switch very easily. I’ve heard actors say that some characters stay with them for long. That’s great. But these things don’t happen to me. I feel the character’s emotions only while doing the scene. There have been instances where it takes slightly longer for me to shake off the character, but I’ll be back to myself soon.
In Jigarthanda, how was the character? She was different and loud, right? The truth is, I’m getting more such roles from outside Kerala. I’m still waiting for such an offer from here. In Jigarthanda, a director who doesn’t know me offered such a fun character, but though the makers here know me, I’m still not getting such a role. That’s why I thought of taking a break from Malayalam.
Was it easy to move on from your characters in Chola and Chithha, which both had you playing sexual abuse survivors?
Both Janu and Shakti were emotionally-demanding characters going through different journeys. In Chithha, I remember being extremely emotional during the climax where my character opens up. I started crying uncontrollably while performing. Maybe I was triggered by the thought of what all these children must have gone through. But the director didn’t want it to be so loud. He reminded me that the abuse happened long back, so she might not break down so heavily. I understood the inputs and adapted accordingly. It was similar in Chola’s case as well. My mom couldn’t take the film at all, but that’s the harsh reality around us.
Now that you’re doing a lot of non-Malayalam films, do you find dubbing a challenge?
I believe a performance is complete only when I dub for myself. I’m more comfortable in Hindi and Marathi than Malayalam, so that’s not a problem. While doing Jigarthanda Double X, I used to ask for the script beforehand to mug up my dialogues. Recently, I did a Bengali web series. I had no idea of the language, so someone else had to voice for my portions.
But does mugging up help you connect with the emotions?
One thing I learnt from Jigarthanda Double X is to stay true to your emotions. Karthi anna (Karthik Subbaraj) didn’t want me to focus on the dialogues and compromise on emotions. While performing, I used to deliver some dialogues in Malayalam, but Karthi anna assured me that we would correct it during dubbing. If you watch it closely now, you can see those parts where I slip into Malayalam (chuckles).
How did Poacher happen?
I got a call from casting director Mukesh Chhabra, who told me about director Ritchie Mehta wanting to meet me. I was thrilled because I loved his work in Delhi Crime. At that time, I was in Chhattisgarh for a shoot and was down with Covid. The auditions were on Zoom, but my sickness meant I couldn’t make any effort. I told this to Ritchie and just read scenes from the page. But fortunately, he liked the fact that I wasn’t acting, which was what he wanted. Apart from Poacher being a Richie Mehta-show, I also wanted to be part of it, because not many were aware of this incident, including me.
Was your character Mala also based on a real person?
Yes, Mala is based on an incredible person. When I met the real Mala, I asked what’s the drive behind such a strong work ethic. The answer was “What would you do if someone comes to your home and takes away your favourite thing.” That’s how committed they are to the jungle and the elephants.
Did you try to bring any of the real person’s traits into your role?
No, Richie had already asked me not to imitate but just connect with the emotion. In the series, though Mala is mostly calm and composed, she is also aggressive. But for the real-life Mala, it is different. Even family comes secondary for that person.
You’ve retained your real tattoo for Mala. Is there any reason behind it?
So, the tattoo is actually a tribal symbol. When Richie told me that Mala is a tribal person, I asked him if I could retain it. He immediately agreed. I’ve never shown this tattoo in any of my other works and I don’t plan to in the future as well. That way, a piece of Mala will always be with me, close to the heart.
Usually, in a series, especially procedural, smoking is a common thing to depict tension. But Poacher has no such scenes. Was it a deliberate choice because the show was about environmental conservation?
Yes, exactly. Richie took that decision himself — to not show anything that affects nature, including my character having only vegetarian food. I think not many people noticed such things.
Interestingly, both Jigarthanda Double X and Poacher are about nature conservation...
Yes, but I didn’t realise this during shooting. The passion of the characters are the same. And of course, the elephants. There is this particular scene in Jigarthanda, where elephants visit us and my character tells Raghava anna that they are here to bless him. My eyes teared up then and that’s when the realisation about the similarities in the characters struck me.
Alia Bhatt called you her favourite actor after watching Poacher...
I’m happy to hear such compliments. I remember her performance in Udta Punjab. I wasn’t even in cinema then, but I really wanted to be part of such films. Basically, getting a compliment from an actor whom you have admired on screen, is a great feeling.
What kind of films do you prefer watching?
I don’t have many filters; I watch everything regardless of its genre or language. I watched Malaikottai Vaaliban recently. I loved everything about it and was literally tripping at many scenes along with those characters. Last year, I really loved films like Oppenheimer, Barbie, and Poor Things. Kaathal was another film that blew me away. When Mammukka breaks down and says ‘Ente Daivame’, I burst into tears because I wasn’t prepared for it. That, I think, is an actor’s brilliance. He delivered something beyond the audience’s expectations. Jeo Baby also conveyed the theme brilliantly without any complications.
Would you take up a homosexual character like that?
Of course, yes. I don’t have any limitations as an actor. I was supposed to play a similar character in a film called I Am, which was to be directed by Onir. I was very excited about it, but the project had to be dropped due to some issues raised by the Union government. I’ll take up any project, given it aligns with my ideologies and politics.
And what’s your politics?
It’s there in my films. Everything that I’ve done so far is with utmost conviction and my politics clearly reflects on it.
You once said you would never do films that have a negative influence on society. Why?
I can do messed-up characters if it’s not glorified. I would play a villain character as long as it’s portrayed in such a way that it is clear the character is the villain and their actions are negative. If I play a dark character, I’ll ensure the audience hates her.
Have you been offered Hindi films?
Do you think I’ll get a call from Bollywood? I don’t know if I belong there, but if something comes through, I’ll choose it only based on the script.
From Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum to Poacher, have you felt an evolution, both as a performer and a person?
I’m still learning and enjoying the process. I don’t think I have grown or improved a lot as an actor. But as a person, I have learned a lot, especially after being part of political films like TGIK and Nayattu. They gave me an understanding of how the system works and how it affects other people.
You’ve often expressed your disinterest towards makeup..
I do wear makeup if I feel it’s necessary, like say, for a photoshoot or if a character demands. But in my personal life, I don’t apply makeup because I’m very comfortable with how I look. I’ve never been curious about what others are wearing. I’m more curious about how people succeed in their lives. That said, I don’t have any disregard for makeup or people who wear it. It’s also art.
Could you share some experiences working with veterans?
One of my most memorable experiences was with Venu achan (Nedumudi Venu) in Oru Kuprasidha Payyan. There’s a scene in the film where he shakes hands with me and I get uncomfortable. In the script, there was no mention of me feeling uneasy, but during the take, he squeezed my hands so hard that I naturally squirmed in pain. It’s a very minute input he added, but it adds so much depth to the characterisation. There have been several such instances of co-actors helping better my performances. For example, while working with people like Siddique ikka and Debu dada (Dibyendu Bhattacharya), you never know what’s coming next . Fahadh ikka and Suraj ettan are also like that. They are always pushing us to our limits. I don’t know how many actors would have agreed to do the husband’s role in TGIK. Suraj ettan’s willingness made a big impact.
Do you see yourself doing a typical commercial film with songs and dance numbers?
Are you able to imagine me in such a role? (laughs).The Tamil film I’m doing now is mostly romantic and has me doing a bit of dancing. I would love to play a good character in a full-fledged rom-com.
Do you read reviews?
I don’t take efforts to go through the reviews, but if I come across something interesting I ensure to read it. Good reviewers always bring new perspectives to a film. For films like Bramayugam or Malaikottai Vaaliban, they might have a completely different take from how I perceived them.
Do you ever wish to be a filmmaker or writer?
Right now, I have no idea. But I envy filmmakers. Unlike an actor, who focuses on only one character, filmmakers get to travel with all the characters. I’m unsure about direction, but I think I can never write. It’s too hard.