Nivin Pauly: A decade later, I want to look back at my filmography without any regrets

This Thiruvonam is special for Nivin Pauly, as it would mark his new-born daughter’s first. However, the actor would not be with his family to celebrate it at their home in Ernakulam, as would be shooting in Goa for Shyamaprasad’s Hey Jude. But then, it’s not the first time he’s missing Onam celebrations at home; last year too he was packed with work. And that’s how it will be for the most part of the next one year for him, says Nivin, as he has back-to-back projects for which he wants to give his all.We caught up with the busy star to get to know more about his upcoming projects, how he’s challenging himself after a successful film and more.
You are celebrating the first Onam with your daughter Rose Teresa?
Actually, that’s her baptismal name. We haven’t named her yet. My son Daveed is overjoyed that he has a sister now. Every morning, we have trouble getting him to go to school as he would be busy playing with her. He absolutely adores her. It will be a great Onam at home this year. However, I am at Goa shooting for Hey Jude. Last year too, I had celebrated the festival at the sets of my Tamil film Richie. I badly wish I could be at home during Onam as the festival is all about peace, relaxation and family bonding, but for the past two years I have been celebrating with the cast and crew of my films.
Your latest release Njandukalude Naattil Oridavela (NNOI ) revolves around a family…
It falls in the family, humour genre. When Althaf first narrated the script to me during the pre-production of Premam, I knew it was a story that had to be told. The movie doesn’t have any cinematic ingredients per se and the characterisation has not been tweaked to make it entertaining. In our families, every person has their own personality and throughout the movie, we have ensured that the character stays true to that persona, just like in real life. Althaf has used situational, natural humour for the movie.
About the title, a lot of people wanted us go for something simpler but we wanted it to evoke curiosity. It doesn’t represent the crab mentality of Malayalis but a serious issue that we have explored in the film. Many of us from the Premam team are coming together for the film and so collectively, we have put in a lot of effort and had fun while doing so.

But this film seems different in terms of the roles essayed by Siju Wilson and Krishna Shankar…
Premam becoming a huge hit doesn’t mean that we have to repeat ourselves or live in that hangover forever. Everything is different in this film – be it our characters or the relationships between the characters in the movie. All of us also wanted to team up again for a good movie after Premam in which everyone liked the characters they were offered.
For your last few films, you as well as the filmmakers have taken a lot of time to ensure that the final product is as polished as possible, instead of rushing it to the theatres. How much does that process help?
Once a film’s made, it is history. After it has released, you can’t say, ‘If only we had a bit more time, we could have made it better’. Everyone should get the maximum time to deliver their best output. That’s why I don’t insist on rushing to complete films. And it helps a lot because everyone is ultimately satisfied with their efforts. For NNOI, I told Althaf that I am in no hurry to do that movie and asked him to work on the script. Even after shooting, once we saw the edited version we decided to reshoot a few portions, improve the music of certain sections and all of this helped make the film better.
The film has a debutante actress as well, Aishwarya Lekshmi. Are you aware that all the actresses who make their debut with you go on to be stars – be it Sai Pallavi, Anu Emmanuel, Namitha Pramod and Isha Talwar? You seem to be a lucky charm.
(laughs) A lot of the actresses tell me that. They debut with me and then get good roles later. I feel glad when I hear that. But for this movie, there was nothing like we would pick only a new actress.

There’s another actress debuting in Malayalam with your next movie – Hey Jude. Her name’s Trisha. How is it working with her?
(laughs) It’s a great experience. She’s friendly, down-to-earth and comfortable to work with. In terms of acting experience, she’s the senior. She made her debut in 2002 and I came into films almost a decade later. I have watched a lot of her films and have been a big fan since Vinnaithaandi Varuvaya. Now, I am fortunate enough to act with her. It’s destiny that I am able to share screen space with such big actors.
After Premam, you have chosen characters that completely broke away from that mould – be it Action Hero Biju, Sakhaavu or even your upcoming films, such as Moothon. Because you have taken that route, aren’t you making it all the more challenging for yourself?
I have zero interest in sticking to a particular image. It’s easy to get roles like the one in Premam; in fact I was being offered a lot of similar stories after the film. It’s a hit formula and if we repeat it, we can find success too. People have always loved romantic stories, so it’s a safe bet. But there’s no point adhering to just that. I believe that when you have time and space to experiment, you must push yourself, and that’s the only way you can grow.

You are also taking your time and undergoing a lot of physical transformations for your films…
What’s the point in rushing and finishing a film in a month and moving on to the next? Ten years later, when I look back at the films I have done, I must feel content. I don’t want to have any regrets that I did a movie without giving it my all. Only when I am satisfied with my work can I expect the audience to feel the same. My role in Richie is totally different from all that I have done. The character has got a slight negative shade and is a rowdy. The film being in Tamil, it’s a challenge. Similarly, the role in Hey Jude is a complete opposite to that of Sakhavu and Richie. So, that makes it all the more difficult for me. But I look forward to these challenges.
You also have Geetu Mohandas’ Moothon coming up…
It’s very much a mainstream movie. Be it Geetu, Rajiv Ravi or Anurag Kashyap, the people behind it are supremely talented. For graphics, the team who have worked in Life of Pi have been roped in. The grandeur, technology and story will ensure that it would be a movie that Malayalis can be proud of.
Over the past few years, you have emerged as one of the most bankable actors in the South. What do you think worked in your favour, especially with you being the protagonist for big budget films such as Kayamkulam Kochunni and Moothon?
I believe I have been able to keep up consistency in terms of the box office success as well as the quality of the films. That’s when people have confidence in the actor and are ready to bank on him or her. Kayamkulam Kochunni is the biggest film for almost everyone associated with it. Rosshan chettan (director Rosshan Andrrews) is leaving no stone unturned for the pre-production of the film. He’s crystal clear about what he wants and it being a period film, he has even made miniatures of every set that has to be used for the film.