Location Diaries: Arthana Binu - Back to city

While shooting for the Nakkhul-starrer Vasco Da Gama, actor Arthana Binu, of Kadaikutty Singam-fame, shot for her portions in Chennai.

"We shot mostly inside a spacious house in a residential area in Chennai. This is the first time I shot in an urban setting for a Tamil film. While I enjoyed the greenery and open spaces of rural shoots, filming in a city atmosphere was also enjoyable. I play a modern city girl in this film, so that too was a different experience from my previous village belle roles. As an actor, I enjoyed the versatility of my role in this film," says Arthana Binu.

For most of her portions, she had to shoot scenes with Nakkhul, Munishkanth, and Anand Raj. On the first day of the shoot, she broke the ice by going up to them and introducing herself. "They were all very friendly. When they came to know about my Kerala roots, they narrated their own experiences of visits to Kerala. There was a lot of positivity on sets and everyone was warm and welcoming." Observing her co-star Nakkhul on sets, Arthana Binu was impressed by several of his qualities, "Nakkhul's presence was energetic and like a bright ray of sunshine on sets. He was cordial with everyone and very chilled out. But he was also a thorough professional as far as work was concerned. Before a scene, he would interact and discuss details with me. During the take, there would be few improvisations but because of the friendly rapport he created, we would be able to seamlessly blend the improvisations into the scenes."

During breaks, the duo had interesting conversations on a variety of topics, "From sharing travel experiences and travel tips to discussions on human psychology and phobias, he had abundant knowledge to share. That is something I admire in people, as I enjoy an opportunity to learn about new things. The way he would talk about his family, showed me how caring he was as a husband and a father. I respect him for that, as I believe that one's behaviour towards others is as important as one's talent as an actor."

Working with debut director RG Krishnan, she was impressed with his systematic approach to work, and his attention to detail in every department of filming. "I also liked the way he would never waste time and was always prepared for exigencies. For instance, if it rained suddenly during an outdoor shot, he would shift to completing the indoor portions. He would never let any hindrances come in the way of work."

Though Arthana Binu thoroughly enjoyed shooting for the comedy thanks to the camaraderie on sets, there was one time when she was slightly tense. "My Tamil dialogues were simple in the film so I could manage easily when my lines were handed to me on sets. But one day, I was given a particularly long dialogue. I was a tad tensed because though everyone was chilled out, I didn't want to waste my co-artist's time by retakes if I fumbled anywhere with my lines. It was only when I managed to get the shot perfectly, that I heaved a sigh of relief! I was happy when I came to know that my director had full confidence in me and was sure that I could pull it off easily."