Last week, when Nithyaharitha Nayakan directed by Binuraj hit the screens, excitement was high in the air as the movie marked the return of the hit combo Vishnu Unnikrishnan and Dharmajan. For Akhila Nath, the release day was even more exciting because it was her first movie as a heroine.
Explaining how the character Haritha made her confident, the actress, who is passionate about movies, speaks. Having acted in minor roles in Oru Cinemakkaran and Kadha Paranja Kadha, Akhila has been looking for her big break in the industry for quite some time.
“Binu chettan called me after seeing one of my audition tapes. I met him and said he will call me. When he didn’t call till evening, I lost hope. But he called on one Friday saying Friday is the most important for industry people and told me that I was chosen for a character role. Only when I went for the pooja did I come to know that I was playing the lead. During the makeup trial, scriptwriter Jayan chettan narrated me the whole script and only then did I realise the importance of my character,” says Akhila, who has been dreaming of cinema.
Her interests are not confined to cinema alone. A classical dancer and theatre artiste, her first stint with acting came in the form the short film Mazhavil Padangalkkumappuram which fetched her accolades. Though she wanted to continue acting, she took a break to focus on studies. Even when she got a job in Bengaluru after engineering, her acting dreams stayed strong. “My cousin had worked in a musical video Hridyam directed by Shyamlin Jacob who asked me to try my luck in movies. But since I had no experience or contacts in the field, I wasn’t positive. Shyamlin was the one who informed me about the auditions for a role in Oru Cinemakkaran. I had just one scene in the movie. And in Kadha Paranja Kadha, I got my first dialogue,” she recalls.
An artiste with Lokadharmi Theatre, Akhila is also associated with P.R. Arun’s Fifth Estate Productions. “Coming from a small place like Nilambur, I had no much experience in theatre. I was associated with Rima and Mamangam for some time before attending a theatre session by Arun.”
She wants to act in memorable roles under good banners. Along with movies, she wishes to pursue theatre and dance seriously. “Nithyaharitha Nayakan was a great experience. The directors, actors and everyone created a comfortable atmosphere which really helped me. It’s a great experience to work with such good team and senior artistes. My friends from theatre had seen the movie and applauded my performance. The responses are very encouraging. I’m very much happy,” she signs off.
