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Nithya Menen: Controversies do hurt a lot

Nithya Menen likes to speak her mind even though it has landed her in some controversies. Recently, her refusal to meet some producers who had come to see her while she was shooting for T K Rajeev Kumar's Tatsamayam Oru Penkutty, led some Malayalam film organisations to propose a ban on her films.

The outcry that followed silenced the would-be banners.

Nithya talked about this controversy during a recent interview while on location in Kochi for Anwar Rasheed's Ustad Hotel.

What is Tatsamayam Oru Penkutty all about?

I play the central character in the film, which is basically a satire. It is about a reality show and how it manipulates the life of my character.

The controversy started during the shooting of the film...

It was due to certain misunderstandings but T K Rajeev Kumar made sure that I was comfortable even after the incident. He is one of the most intelligent and sensible persons I have met.

Everyone behaved like normal on the sets and that was a great feeling. I just ignored the controversy after that.

'The controversy has'nt affected my career'

Did it make any difference to your career?

I am doing three films now. I am currently shooting for Anwar Rasheed's Ustad Hotel and Amal Neerad's Bachelor Party. I am also doing Rajeev Kumar's next film.

So, is the controversy affecting my career? No.

Okay, is it affecting you as a person?

Yes, of course. It hurts. I can't say I have learnt to deal with it. It feels sad not to be understood. It was essentially an ego problem.

I am staying out of the issue. This is not my issue; this is their issue. After a point, I decided to let them deal with their own issues. They started it so let them end it. I don't want to be part of it. I am an actor and I can't get involved in all this.

I am really not aware about what is happening and I don't want to know either.

'Shooting for Bachelor Party is real fun'

What is your role in Ustad Hotel like?

My character is called Shahana. I can't reveal much about the character. All I can say is that she comes from a rich, orthodox family but she is a person with a spirit of her own.

In Bachelor Party, you are paired opposite Asif Ali?

Yes. There are all these men like Kalabhavan Mani, Indrajith, Rahman, Asif Ali and I am the only girl in that gang. The shoot is real fun and it's like a party.