Movie buffs always have a penchant for comedians who speak in their native dialect. The comic characters played by actors Innocent, Mamukkoya or Kuthiravattom Pappu would be incomplete without their slang. Nirmal Palazhy, the latest addition to the league, is happy to have made a mark by tickling many a funny bone with his Kozhikodan dialect in Fukri and Puthan Panam. But treading a different path, Nirmal has been showcasing his lesser-known serious act in the much-acclaimed Avni and Prabhullas’ Buhari Saloon, which has been winning awards since its release in April.
No one who has watched Avni could forget the painful, haunting act of Nirmal. But that was not all. With Buhari Saloon, he has taken performance to a different level. Nirmal says, “Buhari Saloon is a very timely political satire on Islamophobia — about a barber named Bavukka, a peace-loving, kind person who is asthmatic and allergic even to beedi fumes. He is jailed for having terror links after he allegedly shaves the beard of a terrorist! What begins on a humorous note ends raising serious questions.”
The short film has bagged various awards at the Blossom Shortfilm Fest, Solidarity Youth Spring Festival and Chaithram Film Society Festival. His performance as Bavukka has also been praised a lot, but a humble Nirmal owes it all to the crew. “It’s not just me. The theme, Prabhullas’ direction, technical team and everything had great potential, which made it such a wonderful work,” says Nirmal, a native of Palazhy in Kozhikode. Post Buhari Saloon, Nirmal’s prospects too have increased.
“Being a person with a mimicry background and with my Kozhikodan slang, I am naturally chosen for comic roles. I thoroughly enjoy it and am open to serious acts as well. Now, I have bagged a serious role in Angane Njanum Premichu, quite different from what I have done so far,” reveals Nirmal, who is also part of the upcoming Captain, Lava Kusa, Sunday Holiday and Aabhaasam. Not many know that Nirmal has lent his voice to the animation series Minnaminni and Manjadi. He has also dubbed for B. M. Gafoor’s cartoon show Kunjamman. “Participating in reality shows as part of ourtroupe Kali-kattans landed me in big screen with Guinness Pakru directorial Kutteem Kolum. Later, I went on to do small roles in North 24 Kaatham, Salala Mobiles, Hello Namasthe and Ben. Replying to the query he faces everywhere he goes — Is he related to Hareesh Kanaran, Nirmal says, “No, I am not. We are just very good friends who hail from the same place.”
