Nishvika Naidu: People will assess your work, not your background

It has been only one year since Nishvika Naidu debuted as an actor, but she has already managed to carve her own space in the Kannada industry. The model-turned-heroine, who started her career with Amma I Love You, is now looking forward to her third outing, Paddehuli, a project she feels fortunate to have bagged.

“This offer came to me even before my debut film released. I didn’t have any body of work to present to the makers and it was the rushes in Amma I Love You that caught their attention. I was asked to audition and they finalised me for the project soon after,” recalls Nishvika.

“While I was on the sets of Vaasu Naan Pucca Commercial, I was offered Amma I Love You. And while working for my second film, I was chosen for Guru Deshpande’s Paddehuli. Seeing my work in my first film, he also roped me in for his first  production venture, Gentleman, starring Prajwal Devaraj,” says the actor, who also has Ramarjuna in the offing.

“I have started on a right note with three releases this year. This is just the beginning and now I have to prove myself. I am confident of meeting the expectations of filmmakers and the audience.”

Having said that, Nishvika confesses that she is still learning. “Initially, I was an introvert. But in the process, I realised if an actor needs to showcase her work, she has to reach out to people,” says the actor, who has performed a solo dance in Paddehuli.

Reliving school and college days

The youthful musical of Paddehuli took Nishvika back to college. But what was more exciting for the actor was wearing the school uniform once again. “We went back to our childhood days. Guru Deshpande even had to hold a stick to make us sit in one place. It was good to relive those days. It was the most exciting part of the shooting,” she says.

She loves the backstory of her character in the film. “I learnt about my character's backstory during my training in Mumbai and was happy to see Guru bring her to life creatively. We also rehearsed for 22 days before we actually went on the sets. This made a difference and helped us understand each other’s strengths,” she says.

The two-film-old actor has been paired opposite Shreyas Manju, who is making his debut. At no point did she feel he was only a newcomer. “Even though it is Shreyas’ first film, the field is not new to him. With his father, K Manju, being a well-known producer in Kannada, films are something he’s grown up with. But he hasn’t taken his career for granted; he has trained in various departments.”

Nishvika  feels having a godfather in the industry only takes you so far. “Having someone behind you matters until you get a chance. But after that, it is about how you take it forward. People will watch you for your performance and not for where you’ve come from,” she says.