Karthika Nair debuts in Jayaraj's Backpackers

Delhi-based Karthika Nair is excited to make her movie debut in Malayalam with

Backpackers

, which is scripted and directed by veteran director Jayaraj. Playing Daya, she is paired opposite Kalidas Jayaram, who is portraying Khalil. “Both of us are

cancer

survivors in the film, which was shot on location at a couple of hospitals in Kottayam and Thiruvalla, and also in Gavi, Wagamon and Varkala,” says Karthika.

The film is a musical with six songs, composed by Sachin Shankar. The shoot was completed in less than 20 days, because Kalidas was leaving to the US for further studies, she says. Karthika, who has modelled and done a short film, was introduced to director Jayaraj by a casting director who had noticed her pictures on social media. “I was asked if I would be willing to shave my head, which was the main requirement for the role. I was very shocked and thrilled to be part of the film, because I only had the experience of working on a short film,” says the 25-year-old. She says that she is conversant in Malayalam, but did not dub for the role because she has a bit of an accent.

The film also has Renji Panicker, Shivajith Padmanabhan, Ullas Pandhalam and Sabita Jayaraj, and is set for a December 25 release.