Despite being attached to big-ticket films for a few years now, actor Nidhhi Agerwal has had a rather start-stop career. If the pandemic was one reason, the various delays in her marquee projects was another reason. Three years since she last appeared on the big screen in Tamil and Telugu, Nidhhi is back with one of her biggest releases, the period epic Hari Hara Veera Mallu. Headlined by Pawan Kalyan, the Jyothi Krisna directorial is slated for release on July 24. It marks her maiden venture in the period genre, which often requires actors to learn new skills. Hari Hara Veera Mallu was no exception. “For this film, I learnt horse riding. Although I am trained in ballet and Kathak, I didn't know Bharatanatyam, which was something I learnt for the film."
Hari Hara Veera Mallu follows a nonconformist character (Pawan) who steals the Koh-i-Noor diamond from the Mughals. The film, which is set to release in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, and Malayalam, is definitely different from the kind of films Nidhhi has starred in her career. Acknowledging that variety is needed to bring out the versatility of an actor, she says, “A director once told me that in every film, my acting is different because I do not have a personal style yet. I usually just follow the director's instructions. I do not add my own touch to the role unless I need to. I feel like I do not have a pattern yet, or maybe I do.” However, she shares that having a particular style of acting is a double-edged sword. "We run the risk of losing uniqueness while playing different characters, right?"
In what can be construed as Nidhhi making up for all the lost time, she is not just part of the pan-Indian Pawan Kalyan film, but also plays a pivotal role in Prabhas' much-delayed, and yet much-awaited horror comedy, The Raja Saab. In fact, she had to juggle between both these sets. It posed two challenges for her: losing out on regular sleep and sleeping in transit as a result, and maintaining character continuity. However, the actor shares that the fact that both films are of two extreme genres helped her be in character. “Every set has a completely different vibe. As soon as you enter the Hari Hara Veera Mallu sets or The Raja Saab sets, I am like, ‘Ok, I am in this world.’ Your surroundings, and the actual set makes a huge difference. With Hari Hara Veera Mallu, it was set in a palace, and there was no blue screen filming involved.”
Hari Hara Veera Mallu was announced in 2020, and there have been many changes in filmmaking techniques since then. What was considered cutting-edge back then might not be the same today. But what's important in making a film timeless is the story, and not the technology. However, Nidhhi feels Hari Hara Veera Mallu has both bases covered. “We are lucky that it is a period film and not a contemporary subject. But even on the technical front, we have the brilliant Manoj Paramahamsa sir as the cinematographer. He can shoot a rain scene without you getting wet. Having him on this project has been the biggest plus for this film. So I think we are actually ahead of time with regards to cinematic techniques.”
Thanks to the long delay in its making, Hari Hara Veera Mallu hits theatres at a time when period films are enjoying a renaissance in India. Even when these films face criticism, they tend to fare well at the box office, as is the case with Vicky Kaushal and Rashmika Mandanna’s Chhaava. Speaking about the key to the success of period films, Nidhhi shares, “As Indians, certain topics, time periods, and historical characters are very deep-rooted in our minds. We may not talk about it on an everyday basis, but from childhood, it has been deeply ingrained in our minds. So unknowingly or knowingly, we gravitate towards that.”
The success of period films, in spite of mixed reviews, is also attributed to their tendency to cater to right-wing ideologies. “That is probably true,” shares Nidhhi, adding, “Keeping aside ideologies and the left and right wings, it is all about whether a film works or doesn't. We can always decode how it works, but as long as it works, that is great.” The actor shares that producer AM Rathnam has been following a particular strategy to ensure that people come to theatres in droves to watch the film. “Rathnam sir is a great producer. A majority of the film’s content is not even out to the public. Today, filmmakers show their best shots in the trailer to attract the audience, but Rathnam sir insisted on not showing everything beforehand. He is very confident in his strategy.”
The actor reckons that her role in Hari Hara Veera Mallu is the best so far in her career. “My character moves the story ahead with many decisions, some controversial, some that come with a twist, and more." While the promotional materials of Hari Hara Veera Mallu seem to have its fair share of objectification of women, Nidhhi asserts that her character has plenty of agency in the film. “There are different versions of Panchami in the film. She does something very shocking in it. In fact, I had my misgivings about it, but the makers were confident that it would work.”
Hari Hara Veera Mallu is also the kind of film where Nidhhi’s appearance takes a lot of prominence, and she candidly admits that her modelling career helped her prepare for this role, especially while exercising patience during long shoots. However, the actor also reveals that she never enjoyed modelling and it was only a stepping stone to her acting career. “I wanted to be an actor ever since I can remember. Actually, I wanted to be a heroine all my life. My idols like Aishwarya Rai, Sushmita Sen, Priyanka Chopra have all done pageants and modelling before becoming actors. So pre-pandemic, that was always my route map.”
With the route map taking her to some interesting places, the next two stops would determine the flow of her career. There can be no doubt that Hari Hara Veera Mallu and The Raja Saab have the potential to help her not just regain lost ground, but pave way for new ones. But for now, all she can hope for is both films releasing as announced, and the audience embracing her with the same gusto they had three years ago.