While I Look For performance- oriented roles in Tamil, I want to go glam in Telugu

Year 2016 was an eventful one for actress Nandita Swetha who made her debut in Telugu with Ekkadiki Pothavu Chinnavada alongside Nikhil Sidharth. However, she is yet to open her account in Tamil this year and is eagerly awaiting the release of Selvaraghavan’s

Nenjam Marappathillai

with SJ Suryah as the lead. In a candid chat, she talks about her upcoming releases, her choice of movies and how she is dying to break her girl-next-door image.
On bagging the role in Nenjam Marappathillai…
I have been a huge fan of Selvaraghavan sir and his Mayakkam Enna is one of my favourite movies. So, when I got a call from his office, I didn’t think twice before saying yes to the film. It was only later I came to know that SJ Suryah sir will be the hero.
SJ Suryah, the actor…
I know him as a director and have watched his directorial ventures, which I like a lot. But I had never watched him as an actor. It was only when we started working together that I came to know that he is a terrific actor too, and it was a challenge to match him shot for shot.
Working with director Selvaraghavan…
Unlike the general perception, he is neither reserved nor strict. I shot for the movie for more than 40 days and I would say he is a master at direction. His filmmaking is unique and I have learnt many things from him. Working with him is like attending a school. If I’m asked to describe the experience in one line, I would say that he knows how to extract work from an artiste. He is very natural at it. He would improvise on the spot and shoot the actor’s expression making it look so natural and lively.
Your role in the movie…
I play the wife of SJ Suryah’s character. Though it has romance as an element, there’s much more to my character. There’s horror, some thrilling moments and action, too. I play a bold woman and shot for some stunt sequences. They would provide some edge-of-the-seat moments for the audience for sure.
Performing the stunts…
In real life, I’m an adventurous girl and so, I went against the advice of Selva sir and did the stunts all by myself. I didn’t use any body-double and was thrilled to perform the rope stunts. We also shot action scenes in rain. This is the first time that I am playing a matured character, something entirely different from my innocent girl-next-door look.
Yet to get into the big league despite working with top filmmakers…
I’m lucky that I have worked with some of the best directors like Pa Ranjith, Radha Mohan, Seenu Ramaswamy and now, Selva sir. I have also acted alongside actors like Sivakarthikeyan, Vijay Sethupathi, Dinesh, and now, I am shooting for a film with Arvind Swami. Movies can be a hit or a flop, but my criterion is content. I choose content-oriented scripts over masala movies. I always look for the impact my role would have on the movie as a whole, and on the audience, before signing a project. That said, most of my characters in Tamil showed me as a very innocent girl. Now, I am consciously trying to break that image by taking up a variety of characters.
Your upcoming movies…
I am currently busy with Vanangamudi with Arvind Swami sir, in which I play a police officer. We have just completed the first schedule. Though there isn’t any romantic angle between us, I get to share the screen space with Arvind Swami sir extensively, since I’m someone who assists him in his work in the movie. And my role is quite glamorous, too. All my friends are now jealous of me because I’m working with one of our most handsome actors. However, he is a very cool person with no starry airs, and during breaks, he would ask me about my career plans and so on. In Ulkuthu, I have teamed up with my Attakathi hero Dinesh again, and it was fun to shoot with him after a gap of some years. While shooting Attakathi, he used to be very reserved, but this time, he was friendly and we had a gala time on the set. Even after acting in Kabali with Rajini sir, he has not changed a bit. After Idharkuthaane Aasaipattai Balakumara, I joined hands with Vijay Sethupathi again for Idam Porul Yeval, directed by Seenu Ramaswamy. He is a very good human being and one of the most sensible actors. He is very hard-working. Whenever he spots a talent, he does his best to encourage them and even recommends the director to give them more screen space. My character in the film is quite different and I have used black make-up to perfect my look. I play a bold and loud woman who mouths some fiery dialogues.
What next?
I am currently shooting for three movies and discussions are on for three more movies. I will be part of the Telugu remake of Sathuranka Vettai and the script has been tweaked to suit the Tollywood audience with more importance given to the heroine. I am getting a lot of offers from Telugu, especially to act in woman-oriented movies. But I have clearly decided to play such performance-oriented roles only in Tamil. In Telugu, I want to essay bubbly, energetic and glamorous characters. Come on yaar, I am a Bangalorean, and I have the style and swag to carry on such roles with élan. I am currently spending most of my time learning boxing, martial arts and belly dancing as a preparation for my next movie. However, I am not at liberty to reveal anything about the project at this moment.

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