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.

Farhan Akhtar who plays the don in the Arun Gawli biopic helps a woman exact revenge on a cheating lover
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 26, 2016)


Mirror had earlier reported (October 6) that Farhan Akhtar is playing Dawood Ibrahim in the Ashim Ahluwalia-directed Arun Gawli biopic, Daddy. Now, we hear his don helps actress Shruti Bapna’s (of TV show Yeh Hai Mohabbatein) character exact revenge on a cheating boyfriend.

A source from the sets revealed, “Shruti plays an escort and Farhan, in a cameo as Dawood, helps her kill her beau. The sequence was shot in a Khar bungalow in July. Farhan is expected to shoot another scene later this month to wrap up his portion.”

Major portions of the film, which has Arjun Rampal as the late gangster-turned-politician, were shot at Versova village in April on a set of Dagdi Chawl, Gawli’s residence and stronghold.Some of his family and friends showed up to ensure authenticity. South actress Aishwarya Rajesh plays Asha, Gawli’s wife.

The actor-filmmaker reunites with Arjun Rampal to play Dawood Ibrahim in Ashim Ahluwalia's gangster biopic on Arun Gawli
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 6, 2016)


Mirror (April 15) was the first to reveal Arjun Rampal’s Arun Gawli look from Ashim Ahluwalia’s gangster biopic Daddy, which was being shot in Versova Gaon earlier this year, followed by a courtroom sequence in South Mumbai. Now, we hear that Farhan Akhtar has joined the cast for a cameo. He plays Dawood Ibrahim. The 42-year-old actor-filmmaker shot his portions in a day-long shoot in a Khar bungalow in June.

“The makers were keen on Farhan for the role. He will shoot for one more day sometime this month and has filmed several sequences including one with television actress Shruti Bapna who plays an escort in the film. He sports Dawood’s signature moustache too,” informs a source from the production unit.

A make-up artist from Italy who specialises in prosthetics, has been roped in to work on Arjun's look; it is no yet known if the same technician has created Farhan’s look too. Daddy is Arjun and Farhan’s third film together after Abhishek Kapoor’s 2008 debut, Rock On!! and it’s upcoming sequel which is directed by Shujaat Saudagar.

Mirror had earlier reported that the film was to wrap up in June but Ashim pushed the last leg of the shoot to September because of the incessant rains. “The film is almost complete. But the last schedule, which will only require 10 days, needs to be filmed post monsoon. Since we will be shooting outdoors we don't want to be interrupted by the rains,” the director had told Mirror (July 22).

The source further reveals that the team is currently in the last leg of the shoot and should wrap up soon.

We reached out to Farhan, Ashim and Arjun but they chose not to respond.