Despite Breathe -  Into The Shadows receiving an unfavourable response, South actor Nithya Menen on why it is one of her best performances
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; July 21, 2020)

It's always a delight to watch Nithya Menen on screen. So, when she ranks her performance in Breathe -  Into The Shadows as one of her finest, it can't be taken lightly. While the recently dropped psychological thriller has received brickbats and bouquets, Menen has been unanimously praised for her heartwrenching act of a mother desperate to find her missing child. In a chat with mid-day, the South actor discusses making her web debut with the Amazon Prime Video offering and finding the rare synergy with director Mayank Sharma.

Edited excerpts from the interview.

Did you have any apprehensions about taking up Breathe 2 considering it was largely centred on Abhishek Bachchan's character?
It was quite the opposite. When I heard the script, I thought it was a rare find and an endless canvas [of possibilities]. How often do you get a series with hours and hours of great content? My character was beautifully written with layers to her, offering me the chance to do a lot in terms of performance.

If you had to, which of your three projects would you send to your favourite director as an audition tape?
Breathe would top the list. In fact, after we finished shooting, I remember telling Mayank [Sharma, director] that I would pull out my portions from the series and use them as an audition tape. Breathe has been my best performance so far. OK Kanmani [2015] would be second and lastly, Psycho, where I played a quadriplegic officer.

Considering you have rated Breathe as your best performance, what aspects have you covered as an actor in this series?
The makers gave me space and silence to understand [my character]. There was synergy between my director and me, our wavelength and sensibilities matched. [At times], we would understand each other without having to verbally communicate. I felt understood as an actor, which helped me alter myself emotionally while playing Abha. Of course, credit goes to the writers because they help enhance your acting.

Mayank was convinced that I was the perfect choice for Abha after watching me in Mani sir's film [OK Kanmani]. I was never treated like a newbie because everybody was well-aware of my past works even before they approached me for the role. I was the favourite on set.

Who did you connect with the most among your co-stars?
While I had a great collaboration with everyone, working with Amit [Sadh] helped me understand the true nature of a give-and-take relationship between co-stars. The synergy, where you can feed off each other's energy, is rare. I also shared sizable chunk of my scenes with Shruti [Bapna].

Do you think the series helped you grab eyeballs?
I am hoping Breathe will bring me projects that can help me achieve my potential.

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; September 10, 2019)

He made his Bollywood debut with Karwaan alongside Irrfan last year. While the movie was critically acclaimed, it did not exactly fare well at the box office. Now, Malayalam superstar Dulquer Salmaan, who got rave reviews for his maiden Hindi outing, is gearing up for his next, The Zoya Factor. Based on Anuja Chauhan’s book by the same name, the movie will see him play a cricket captain. The day we met the actor, he had come straight from the airport, having flown in from Kerala. The 33-year-old opened up about his role in the film, how the market since the time his superstar father Mammootty did Hindi movies has changed for South actors, and why he has no qualms being part of a project that revolves around the female lead.

You made your Bollywood debut with Karwaan, which was not a mainstream commercial film...
(Cuts in) Yes, but, I have done stuff like that in other languages, too. When I hear different ideas, I gauge how much I like the script and the concept. I don’t particularly think how big or commercially viable the film is. If there is honesty in an idea, I like to do it. I wasn’t planning on entering any industry in that sense. Even OK Kanmani (2015) for Mani Ratnam was a small Tamil film. I look at content. The Zoya Factor has great content, which is also commercial. Even in Malayalam, some films are small and not mainstream, while the others are. I try to balance it out. I go by gut instinct. I don’t think too much about a debut film. If it’s good and people like it, they will like you. If they don’t like the movie, they won’t like the performance either.

Was it disappointing when Karwaan didn’t work at the box office?
No, we were not pitching it like a big film. It was a small sweet idea and we never expected it to do commercial film numbers. But, it was received well, and critically liked. It did decent numbers, we were all happy — not shocked or surprised. It has got a lot more love now when it released on a digital platform recently.

In The Zoya Factor, you are opposite Sonam Kapoor aka Sonam K Ahuja, who is a big name in Bollywood. Didn’t you have apprehensions that the film would be more about her than you?
No, I don’t mind. I did Mahanati (Telugu) with Keerthy Suresh, which is the biopic of South actress Savitri. The film is only about the girl, but I loved that my character had so much to do. He was kind of grey, almost negative in some scenes. Sometimes, I look at how good the project, as well as my role, are. Finally, the movie is the hero. If it does well, viewers will watch it and in turn, I will be seen. Sonam has a bigger fan base, so more people will watch the movie and I will be introduced to more audiences. So, I don’t take it negatively. I think it’s a plus.

What prompted you to sign the movie, to begin with?
I liked my character. I felt there was lot of scope for me to perform. I’ve never done a sports film before, it’s the first time I’m playing an athlete of any kind, so that was interesting. There’s a nice graph to it. Sonam’s and my character are opposites — she believes in luck and he believes in hard work. I liked all that. I felt it’s different from what I’ve done.

Did you read the book before signing the film?
No, I hadn’t, though I had it in my bookshelf. When they signed me, they said if you haven’t read the book, don’t. Because we want you to hear the screen adaptation. So, I read it after hearing the script initially. It is more detailed. It’s good that I didn’t read it before.

How interested are you in cricket?
You can’t ignore it in India. I have grown up around it. Street cricket is happening everywhere. I shifted from Kochi to Chennai when I was seven and the first thing I saw was kids playing cricket all the time. I made a lot of friends in the neighbourhood like that. And even in school, the sport was big. I went to college in America and there were a lot of Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis. It was nice to get together, watch cricket and support different teams.

Is your role fashioned on any cricketer?
No, we have not based it on any cricketer, but in Anuja’s writing there are some glimpses of MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli. My character’s got qualities of the best captains. The production got me a lovely coach and I would train with him when I was in Mumbai. Even when I would go to Kochi for my Malayalam film’s shoot, the coach would come down there and we would practise.

Several South superstars, including your father Mammotty, have forayed into Bollywood, but they haven’t been able to sustain. What do you think is the reason?
What happens with us is all of us come from a core market — I am established in Malayalam and somewhat in Tamil. So, it’s about how you weigh your options. If you have better scripts there, you do them. It all depends on what comes your way.

And sometimes, it’s difficult to say no to the progress you’ve made there. You can’t ignore that. Even now, if I take a long gap from Malayalam films, that can affect the progress I’ve made for so many years. So, that priority has to be there. When I do a film from another language, I try to find a movie that can be shot in two months. I don’t know who to compare myself with because I don’t know other actors who are juggling many industries.

Besides, the market has changed a bit now. It has become bigger, the number of screens has increased, there is OTT platform, worldwide markets, so it has helped us grow in terms of size, budget and viewership. You can push the film around the country even if it’s subtitled. We released Bangalore Days (his superhit Malayalam film) with subtitles across South and some stations in Mumbai and Delhi. It got that viewership. That is possible now. There are a lot of Malayalis everywhere, which was not the case earlier.

Prabhas has just made his Bollywood debut with Saaho...
Yeah, but that’s a bilingual movie, so, he’s not losing his focus there. It’s when you completely step away that it gets tricky. But I am trying to balance it.

Dulquer Salmaan on the thrill of real-life road trips, the process of selecting films, fatherhood and why his OK Kanmani was more suited for the South audience
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 29, 2018) 

Dulquer Salmaan made an unconventional debut in 2012 as a gangster in Srinath Rajendran’s Malayalam action-crime film Second Show, bagging the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. Now, Mammootty’s son and a star in his own right, Dulquer is gearing up for his Bollywood debut. The Akarsh Khurana-directed Karwaan, which also features Irrfan Khan, opens on August 3.

Dulquer plays Avinash who’s forced to take a trip from Bangalore to Kochi to claim his father’s body. “During the narration, the story and character resonated with me. It’s a slice-of-life film and I gravitate towards such projects as that’s what I’d want to watch too. I don’t follow any strategy, for me the script is the real hero irrespective of the language,” the actor tells Mirror.

Dulquer, who is currently shooting in the US for a new film, admits he was shocked when he learnt that his costar, Irrfan, was diagnosed with Neuro Endocrine tumour. Though they have not been in touch since wrapping up the film, he’s optimistic that Irrfan will recuperate well and do a lot more work. “I’m a huge fan and he was amazing to work with. Whenever I’ve collaborated with seniors, including Mani sir (director Mani Ratnam), I’ve noticed that they are always on the lookout for the next magical script. Ditto Irrfan sir. He was curious about Malayalam cinema and filmmakers down South,” the younger actor reminisces.

His other co-star in the film is internet sensation Mithila Palkar, whom he fondly calls ‘Jukebox’ as she was always humming on the set. “She’d start with a ’90s song, then randomly shift to the ’70s. Mithila can sing anything!” Dulquer applauds.

His first Bollywood outing, produced by Ronnie Screwvala and Priti Rathi Gupta, is a road movie and Dulquer is a car buff reportedly with an enviable collection of vintage wheels. “I’m a big road trip guy. My first trip was in college. The excitement of going to a new place with a bunch of people is unparalleled. In our busy lives, it’s important to have a hobby and cars charge me up while long drives are rejuvenating,” he asserts.

Despite being from the South, Dulquer is fluent in Hindi and familiar with Mumbai as some of his closest friends from college were from the Maximum City. “I love its warm and welcoming vibe. Mumbai is a melting pot of cultures and everyone’s doing their own thing. There’s so much to explore and experience. I’ve enjoyed the nightlife and the food. I came down for a three-month course at Barry John’s acting school and stayed on for six,” he says at the memory.

Dulquer’s 2015 Mani Ratnam-directed Tamil romantic drama, OK Kanmani, was remade in Hindi as OK Jaanu with Shraddha Kapoor and Aditya Roy Kapur as leads. Prod him on his thoughts on the Shaad Ali directorial and he says he has only seen the film in parts. “It was a good attempt but the concept of living-in was newer in the South as compared to Mumbai,” says the 31-year-old actor, adding that there were attempts to remake his Ustad Hotel and Bangalore Days in Hindi too. The former, his second film, bagged the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. “I was very lucky to get that film so early on in my career,” he avers.

His second Bollywood film is Abhishek Sharma’s movie adaptation of Anuja Chauhan’s novel The Zoya Factor, opposite Sonam Kapoor. Dulquer plays Nikhil Khoda, the captain of the Indian cricket team. The actor admits he’s only read the book in parts and stopped after the makers told him not to read it further. “The script’s amazing. Sonam and I have a few common friends and have met briefly, though I’m not sure if she remembers that. But she’s great fun and I really like the work that she is doing,” he asserts.

How does he plan to balance his career in Bollywood and down South? “I don’t do multiple films simultaneously so Karwaan didn’t come in the way of anything else. The Zoya Factor too will largely be shot in one schedule so I don’t see any problem,” he says, admitting he recently took a longish break from Malayalam cinema to work in other languages but it will remain his first priority. “Stardom is not the focus, good cinema is. By the end of my career, I want to have a portfolio of good and interesting films.”

Dulquer became a father last year and dotes on his little angel, Maryam. “I’ve always been good with kids. My sister Surumi has two boys whom I love dearly, but nothing can prepare you for your own child. When Maryam was born, I took time off from work to be with her and it was wonderful!” says daddy. We can swear he was smiling as the our cross-continental telephonic trip finally wound to an end.

Aditya Roy Kapur says he will go mum on his love life and that he has had enough of speculation
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; January 7, 2017)

Not once does Aditya Roy Kapur mention Katrina Kaif during this interview ahead of his upcoming film Ok Jaanu. We don't prod him either. After rumours about him and Kat being an item spread, he has been constantly hounded with questions about his relationship status. We ask him if he's single and he says he is just chilling. While Anushka Sharma and Alia Bhatt have spoken about being attacked or slut-shamed because of their relationships (or break-ups), it is general perception that actors have it relatively easy in this industry. Adi doesn't agree.

"People make up fake news about us half the time. Yes, primarily we want our work to be spoken about. But in this industry, no matter what you do, your relationship status ends up being the most talked about thing. I have always been a private man and am not comfortable with opening up my life to the world for dissection. People make conjectures and form ideas of who and how we are. There are some things we should hold sacred," he says.

Explaining silence is golden in the filmi world, he adds, "Most times, actors stay mum because they don't want the world to make a tamasha out of their love lives. For instance, if you are trying to be just friends with someone, people make up stories and even link you to that person. It is a slippery slope because I don't want to spend every two days issuing clarification about rumours. Imagine what a pain my life would become if that were to happen. I want to save myself the trouble and allow people to think what they want to think."

That brings us to the most famous relationship rumour about him, his equation with Aashiqui 2 co-star Shraddha Kapoor. He quips, even before we ask, "No it wasn't awkward…" before breaking into a laugh. "Since so much is written about us now, Shraddha and I have don't bother bringing it up in conversations. This is just a part of the game. We don't get affected or even care about it anymore."

Clearly, his world is the opposite of the one he inhabits in Ok Jaanu, a take on contemporary love. "The first thing Shaad (Ali, director) did was to make me watch Mani Ratnam's Tamil original, OK Kanmani. It was a refreshing film, which depicts the essence of today's youth, just the way it is. It dealt with live-in relationships in an off-handish fashion. The tone was neither brash nor preachy."

Claiming to have painted an objective picture of the real world, he emphasises, "The film isn't saying that live-ins are a sin or it's the perfect way [to live life]." If Adi's sincere account of celeb life is to be believed, then this movie takes him to a utopia. We mean real.

A R Rahman is busy with South movies, and why he works only on one or two films in Hindi...
Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; May 24, 2016)


As a goodwill ambassador of Olympics this year, what will be your contribution?
I want to create good vibes and cheer for them. Also, it’s a coincidence that I recently composed the music for Pele, a film on the Brazilian footballer. So, I would love to see a song from that film being performed at the Olympics.

Any other international film in the offing?
There might be a couple of things, but it’s too early to speak about it. I am finishing the music for Mohenjo Daro now.

Compared to South films, you work less in Bollywood. Is it deliberate?
No proper movies came to me from Bollywood. The offers that I got were not compelling enough. Also, I was busy with the pre-production of my film, 99 Songs.

You have just released the poster. When is the movie releasing?
Next year. Also, the movie will not have 99 songs though it is called that (smiles). It’s like a fairy tale.

Hasn’t it got delayed?
No. Some movies get made in 12 years, some in 20 years! Movies should be made only when everything is ready.

Your music for the Tamil film, OK Kanmani, especially Mental Manadhil, was a chartbuster. Will the songs be retained in the Hindi remake OK Jaanu?
Yes, those will be retained and we will also be adding some new songs in it.

Are you happy with the way your music for Tamasha was received?
Tamasha was slightly experimental — both in terms of the movie and the music. That’s what I love about it. I liked the way people received it. Some people loved the music, some hated it, but it was meant to be like that.

Why did you opt out of composing for Aamir Khan’s film Secret Superstar?
What happened was, we had started composing and everything, but around that time my studio (in Chennai) was flooded. My mind was very restless and at that time they had the shoot planned, so I couldn’t do it.

Name one director you will make time for, no matter what?
The last time I did that was for Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire). I was extremely busy at that point and I knew his musical tastes. If Danny comes here I will definitely do that, I like him a lot.

How are the students who pass out from your music conservatory KMMC faring?
Some of them have become composers, some are singers here and abroad and they are winning awards. Some even got invitations from other conservatories who wanted to take our students, but we said, ‘No way!’

Are you planning to open more branches?
I don’t know yet. Even this is a miracle — composing and running this together. Opening more branches means more responsibility, more energy. I want to save my energy, and keep one base. It’s more important to do it right, it’s not about replicating it.

Are your children inclined towards music?
I don’t know yet. Time will tell.

You seem to be more involved in tour concerts. What do you enjoy about it?
It’s a very rewarding experience. It gives a whole new meaning to being alive — when you see them smile, and are in harmony with 30,000 people. They have their own stories, and they are cheering, not because I am standing and singing, but because for them it’s a collection of their memories, journey of their lives — the ups and down that are reflected in these songs. It’s a fantastic feeling.

Do you still get requests for Jai Ho (Slumdog Millionare) more than anything else?
Abroad I do, because it is a big hit there. Jai Ho made a huge impact. However, recently in Malaysia, I did not perform Jai Ho. I also get a lot of requests for Dil Se (from Dil Se) It mostly depends on the place. In Vegas, somebody was asking for an unpopular Malayalam song, Mampoove (Yodha). You never know what a person’s listening to, the Internet is making it all possible.

You have achieved everything. What drives you still?
Being a bridge, getting the next generation educated, being instrumental in pushing our own artistes and amazing artistes from abroad to India.

Who is your support system?
My family. They are my spiritual support.

Aditya Roy Kapur plans to bring in the New Year staying fit
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 19, 2015)


Aditya Roy Kapur has been making headlines with his on and off screen "Aashiqui" ever since he re-entered the industry two years ago. But the 30-year-old actor is quick to dismiss rumours that he is getting a little too serious about a certain Ms Shraddha Kapoor. Without getting into names he says categorically, "I am single, there is no change in my relationship status and no complaints either. Being single isn't all that bad as you can be selfish and focus on yourself and your career. When in a relationship you are responsible for another person too. I don't want to commit unless I am absolutely ready."

Point out that there was a buzz that rings had been exchanged and he guffaws, "I am not in the habit of putting a ring on my own finger. People seem to know more about me than I do."

So, the only relationship he's been in all of this year is with Abhishek Kapoor's Fitoor. Will it live up to the great expectations with Rekha making way for Tabu? "This film required a lot of time and effort and all of us, when shooting it, felt we were doing something special. There's a certain vibe which makes me believe we will meet expectations. I did not get to spend too much time with Rekhaji but I learnt a lot just being in her presence. And Tabu is so subtle and felt in her performance that you don't realise what she's doing till you see her on screen. And then wow! For that matter, working with Katrina was inspiring too. Her mind works at lightning speed and yet there's a certain calm about her. She's seen it all before, so she never gets worked up."

And when will we see him with his sister-in-law Vidya Balan on screen? Aditya admits that though they meet every Sunday, they have never discussed working together. "But if someone were to cast us and the script is good, I'd do it in a shot," he admits.

It's not all that easy getting the nod from Aditya though. He will not give it unless he is convinced that he will enjoy the process of making a film.

"The joy lies in the work, the rest is tamasha," he points out, but admits that he's grown since he did Aashiqui when it was hard for him to come out of the space despite the fact that he was playing a character like himself who was urban, connected to music and had the crutch of alcohol. "Now, emotions are more easily accessible even when my character is set in a place I've never lived in before. I no longer have to struggle through everything," he acknowledges.

For the last few years Aditya has been taking off for long periods, alone, bringing in the New Year cycling through Thailand. But this time he plans to ring in 2016 in Mumbai for the simple reason that he wants to not take a break from his gym training. "I got into shape for Fitoor and now I want to maintain that level of fitness. But if I go away I will put on seven kilos in seven days and we'll be back to square one," he reasons.

When Mani Ratnam was in Mumbai recently, he confirmed to Mirror that Shaad Ali would be directing the Hindi remake of his Tamil film, O Kadhal Kanmani, revolving around a couple in a live-in-relationship, with Aditya and Shraddha. Aditya won't comment on this but admits that there will be an announcement soon.

Meanwhile, having grown up on films of Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan, he wants to feature in a hard-hitting actioner like Rocky and Terminator. "Rohit (Dhawan) and Arjun (Kapoor) believe that I would be good in a film like that," he says. "And I too want to exchange the rose for a gun."

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 17, 2015)

Aditya Roy Kapur who turned 30 on Monday on the sets of his upcoming period drama, has got the best birthday gift he could have asked for. He has been signed for the Hindi remake of Mani Ratnam's hit Tamil romance, O Kadhal Kanmani. To be directed by Shaad Ali, it's the story of a young couple in a live-in relationship in Mumbai. It reunites Aditya with his Aashiqui 2 co-star Shraddha Kapoor.

While the actors step into the shoes of original leads, Dulquer Salmaan and Nithya Menen, buzz is Prakash Raj will reprise his role of the couple's landlord. AR Rahman, who has scored the music for all Ratnam films, will compose for the remake as well.

Ace cinematographer PC Sreeram, who has worked on the Tamil film and recently filmed R Balki's upcoming rom-com, the Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Kapoor starrer, Ki and Ka, wields the camera. "The Hindi screenplay is being co-written by Mani Ratnam and Shaad Ali. The film will roll in Mumbai early next year," said a source.

Mirror caught up with Ratnam on Monday when the filmmaker was in Mumbai to conduct a master class organised by the Indian Film and Television Directors Association (IFTDA). He confirmed the news saying, "Yes, I have the rights of the original Tamil film and the Hindi remake has been finalised. It will be directed by Shaad Ali." He then put an arm around the director who incidentally was seated next to him, quipping, "This is Shaad Ali."

Shaad began his film career as an assistant director on Ratnam's 1998 directorial, Dil Se.. and collaborated with him again on Guru in 2007 and the Tamil Raavanan, which was remade as Raavan in Hindi in 2010 with Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai in the lead. South star Vikram, who essayed the hero in the original, made his Bollywood debut as the villain in the remake.

Shraddha, who had been filming in Shillong with the Rock On 2 gang, Farhan Akhtar, Arjun Rampal, Prachi Desai and Purab Kohli, returned to Mumbai last evening.

Wonder whether her return has anything to do with a hush-hush meeting with Mr Ratnam or an intimate birthday get-together with close friends and family to ring in her boyfriend and co-star's birthday.

DNA (October 13, 2015)

After Aashiqui 2, looks like Shraddha Kapoor and Aditya Roy Kapur will once again share screen space in the Hindi remake of Tamil film OK Kanmani. Directed by Mani Ratnam, the Tamil movie is about two lovers who are reluctant to get married. A big hit down south, the film is now being remade in Hindi with Shaad Ali directing it. Shaad had earlier helmed Saathiya, which was the Hindi remake of Mani Ratnam’s Alai Payuthe. Earlier, there was speculation that Sonakshi Sinha will be co-starring Aditya, but now grapevine is abuzz that Shraddha will romance her Aashiqui 2 hero.

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 3, 2015)

DNA (July 27, 2015)

Buzz is that for the Hindi version of Mani Ratnam’s Ok Kanmani, Sonakshi Sinha and Aditya Roy Kapur have been roped in. The film is to be directed by Shaad Ali who had earlier helmed Saathiya which was the Hindi remake of Mani Ratnam’s Alaipayuthe. Ok Kanmani is about two people who fall in love with each other, but are unwilling to get married. Soon the couple moves in together and finally hits the juncture when they have to decide if they have to move forward in the relationship or not.