BENGALURU: Veteran actor M Nassar does not consider himself a poet, but at the recent Bengaluru Poetry Festival, when prompted with a few words, he nevertheless crafted beautiful poetry, leaving the audience in awe. His love for literature goes back a long way and has significantly honed his craft as an actor over the years. “I come from a small village and later moved to Chennai in my 20s.
I was introduced to Tamil literature then. As an actor, it helped me a lot because I came across so many characters and began to have a deeper understanding of my community, their pleasures, and their pains. It helps in my creative process,” explains the veteran of over four decades.
His first preference has always been regional literature. “I try to read regional books wherever I go. For example, I have read some of the books of Chandrashekhara Kambara.
I really enjoyed Singarevva Mattu Aramane. It’s a wonderful story. I wanted to turn it into a film but realised there was already one in Kannada.
Similarly, when I travel to Andhra Pradesh, I try to read Telugu writers,” says Nassar. Nassar has portrayed many iconic roles on screen. While one can argue that his role in Mani Ratnam’s Bombay and SS Rajamouli’s Baahubali remain unforgettable, his performance in Nayakan is still regarded as iconic.
Nassar, however, believes the secret behind making anything look seamless has less to do with talent and more with practice. “It’s a very long process. Whatever I am applauded for .