'Happier Performances Are Usually Ignored'

'If people think that films that are happy or light, or comedy or romance are not substantial, that's not true.'
'I was really happy when this award was given for Thiruchitrambalam because it highlights that.'

The talented Nithya Menen, who has just won her first National Award for Best Actress for the film Thiruchitrambalam, got her first taste of acting as a child.

"People always say I'm a child actor, and think I've been growing up in films. I did not. I did one film when I was eight years old and a television serial when I was 12 or 13," Nithya tells Subhash K Jha.

"I started properly doing films only after college. So those are isolated incidents, and not a big part of my life."

The National award for Thiruchitrambalam comes as a timely reminder of Nithya's talent and that lighthearted roles also deserve recognition.

"Happier performances are usually ignored. The minute I got the award, I felt that is something I should talk about, that it's a very imbalanced thought process. If people think that films that are happy or light, or comedy or romance are not substantial, that's not true. I was really happy when this award was given for Thiruchitrambalam because it highlights that.

"Though I didn't expect a National Award and it surprised me. I think I really reacted to it! Normally I don't react so much but getting a National Award is obviously big. It validates who you are, and even if you feel you don't need the validation or whatever, it still acknowledges you in a very public way. It's a big deal."

A natural-born scene-stealer, how does she react to jealous co-stars?

"My first reaction is I hope it's not my problem to cope with. I think if people have issues, it's their problem. I think what I try really to strive is to get to a place where I'm able to work with people who are collaborative, and who are so good that they don't feel that sense of insecurity.

"Also, to work with people for whom the project is important. So when they see talent, they value it a lot, and appreciate it. So for me, the strife is to try to find people like that and to work with them, because that's how I am. When I see talent or when I see creativity, it gives me energy."

Talking about her journey as an actor so far, Nithya says, "There are so many things I wish I'd done differently, done better. But honestly, it would be wrong for me to regret anything because things have always been given to me and I have to take it with gratitude.

"I think I'm in a really good place. Whatever decisions I've made, thankfully, have brought me here. I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes from here.

"My career was not something I had planned or tried to make it happen. It just happened. There were turning points in my career. My first Telugu film, Ala Modalaindi was a huge turning point. Ok Kanmani was also a turning point. It was a big pivotal moment. Thiruchitrambalam was definitely a huge turning point because of the recognition and widespread success it had. It reached the hearts of people, so that's definitely a huge leap."