Expanding horizons: Ananya

Ayilya aka Ananya, who made her debut in the Malayalam film Positive, pairs with Sasikumar in her maiden Tamil venture Nadodikal. KK Moidu writes

Nadodikal

Although VK Prakash’s Positive didn’t receive positive response from the audience, the heroine of the film Ananya was noticed by the industry. She was flooded with offers not only from her home turf, but also from neighbouring states. Now she is pairing opposite Jayaram as one of the heroines in the forthcoming Malayalam film Rahasya Police directed by K Madhu. However, one-film-fame Ananya has had enough luck to make her Tamil film debut as a heroine in Nadodikal. Her male lead of the film is director/writer/actor/producer Sasikumar. Earlier, he was an assistant to Bala and Ameer and had proved his mettle as an actor/director in Subramaniyapuram, a quality entertainer with lesser known faces. Nadodikal has already gained the attention of the industry because of its realistic story, talented hero and its enthusiastic director. Samudrakani, who played the villain in Subramaniyapuram, directs Nadodikal. The film is based on the lives of four friends whose lives change forever after a shocking incident. Ananya plays a village girl named Nallamma in Nadodikal. She doesn’t know much about the modern world. Her character possesses its own mannerisms. Ananya GK Nair was born on March 29, 1988 in Perumbavoor. She is the daughter of VN Gopalakrihsnan Nair and Praseetha G Nair. She completed her Plus Two from Government Higher Secondary School in Perumbavoor and is currently doing her BA in Communicative English. She is a State champion in archery and is a national sportsperson. She won several prizes in school and college for her participation in kadhaprasangam, mono act, dance and music.

Excerpts from her email interview

Tell us about your debut film and how it happened.
I debuted as one of the heroines in Jayasoorya starrer Positive. I was selected for the role by the director VK Prakash and writer SN Swami, who watched my performance in the Kairali TV reality show Star Wars.
Did you groom yourself for a film career? I wished for it. I have entered the film industry at the age of eight as a child artiste in Vridhanmare Sookshikkuka. But I didn’t try much for it. As I began to get offers after Star Wars, I decided to go for it.
What has been your experience in film industry? As a beginner, so far it is very good, as I got to know what this career really means and how hard this job of acting is.
Tell us about your character in Rahasya Police? My character’s name is Bhama and I am one among the four heroines in Rahasya Police. I don the role of an investigator, but am basically a college student. It is a serious role and I am a bold character in it!
Which kind of roles you want to do in future? One that use my talents to the maximum. I like to avoid glamorous roles. I am interested in doing the classic type of movies, like what was enacted by Rekha, Revathi and Sobhana.
Your views on actress being used as glamour dolls? No comments, except that I don’t want to go for it!
How did you bag the role in Tamil film Nadodikal? They had a type of selection with more than 3,000 photos from all over South India. My photo was rejected initially as it was thought I was a fat girl. Later, they came to Kochi and happened to meet me. They were surprised I was not that fat as they thought and selected me for the heroine’s role.
How was Tamil filmdom? I don’t have words to explain how nice I feel there. May be it is because of the crew with which I worked. Sasikumar and Samudrakani were really very supportive and influence even my personal character. They made me realise that I have something worthy in me. They have always tried hard to tap the maximum talent of mine in every shot with their repeated encouragement. I became more serious in my film career after working with them.
Any difference between acting in Malayalam and Tamil? I think patience matters a lot. In Tamil, they wait patiently and retake shots for perfection. That, I didn’t ever see in Malayalam.
How do you choose your movies? Like everyone, I look into the character and how important is my role in the film. If the role suits me, I consider the costumes, as I am not ready to appear in revealing costumes.
Were your parents and family supportive of your film career? My parents were extremely supportive, whether it is for acting or any other thing. They want me to be happy and they will surely be with me in this career, until I take a decision to quit.
Does your family have any links with films? Yes, to a limit. My father was the producer of Pai Brothers and some family friends are also involved in film industry.
Did you ever try your luck on the mini-screen and modelling before your entry into filmdom? No. It got started only after my entry into the film industry. I am not really interested in the mini-screen but I do modelling in my free time. Did you dub your voice for the films? I didn’t dub my voice in Positive. But I am lending my voice to Nallamma for the first time in Nadodikal. It was a real experience for me.
To whom you give the credit of your success? To God Almighty first, then my parents, my friends and relatives, and to each crew I worked with.
Your favourite actor and actress? I don’t have a favourite actor or actress. It is their characters that matter to me. What are your future plans? To sustain myself in this industry as long as I can. And if time and luck allows, I wish to direct movies. Rest I leave to God.