He would have loved to essay the role with grey shades in Athithi, but director Bharathan thought otherwise. He felt Nandaa would do justice to the role of the protagonist. “His assessment was probably right as I have thoroughly enjoyed playing the lead. In fact, compared to any of my earlier films, this role has given me a lot of scope to explore different moods,” says Nandaa. The negative role in Athithi is played by Nikesh Ram. “When I read the excellently adapted screenplay by Bharathan, I knew why he wanted me to play the lead, although the negative role is very powerful and the story would come to nought without it. My character goes through several emotions of having to deal with an uninvited guest (Athithi), his wife, played by Ananya, and daughter. It is only towards the climax that he realises the real intention of the tormentor,” says Nandaa. Athithi is the remake of Malayalam hit Cocktail . A psychological thriller, Athithi is a road movie and the entire story takes place during a 24-hour journey.
The beginningNandaa came into the industry with a dream in his head and stars in his eyes. “During my student days in Coimbatore, I was crazy about movies and would even travel to other cities to attend international film festivals to watch foreign language films. When I decided to pursue my dream in Kollywood, my family supported me. In the industry, it was Kalaipuli S. Thanu who guided me. Thanks to him, I did a course in acting and eventually he signed me for Punnagai Poove directed by D. Sabapathy. When director Ameer approached me to do a role alongside Suriya in Mounam Pesiyadhe , I was in a fix, but Thanu was gracious enough to allow me to take it up; he didn’t want to stand in the way of my progress, even if it meant a delay in completing his film. That is something I will never forget,” says Nandaa.
Mounam Pesiyadhe released first, followed by Punnagai Poove and Nandaa with his great looks — a combination of charm and sophistication — quickly established his presence in several notable films such as Kodambakkam, Selvam, Agaram, Urchagam, Anandapurathu Veedu, Vanthan Vendran, Velore Mavattam and the critically acclaimed Eeram .
Considering his good looks and build, Nandaa always wanted to be a romantic hero. But fate had other things in store. “Your career doesn’t always turn out the way you envisage. Movies like Eeram gave me a different image — that of a serious actor who could excel in roles with a shade of grey. I am happy two of my forthcoming films will showcase me differently.
While Puthiya Thiruppangal (PT) was completed a while ago and is awaiting release dates, Athithi is expected to hit the screens this month. PT is about child trafficking, a subject that has been tackled effectively by director Sharada Ramanathan. In Athithi , director Bharathan has been able to extract hitherto unknown emotions from me to convey the intensity of the character,” says Nandaa.
Nandaa considers himself a director’s actor. While he would love to play lighthearted, romantic roles, some directors feel that he has more to offer than just singing and dancing. “Occasionally, I do manage to take a breather and relax. Katham Katham is one such film. Directed by Balu Thooyavan, I am paired with Sanam Shetty in this out-and-out commercial film in which I play a cop. I have also signed director Krish’s (son of Dinamthorum Nagaraj) film, expected to go on floors soon,” says Nandaa.
