The multiple-award-winning actor Nithya Menen has another feather to her much-adorned crown, and it’s inarguably her biggest to date. The actor, who has worked in all the southern film industries, as well as Bollywood and English films, bagged the National Film Award for Best Actress recently for her role in Thiruchitrambalam; she shares the honour with Manasi Parekh who wins for Kutch Express. “I think I was in a bit of disbelief when I heard the news,” says Nithya when asked about her big win.
“I was in the middle of something at home, and was about to have lunch when Dhanush (her co-star from Thiruchitrambalam ) called and said ‘Congratulations’ and my immediate response was ‘For what?’,” says a laughing Nithya. “And that’s when he said ‘What do you mean, you’ve got the National Award!’ and I thought he was joking. It was definitely unexpected.
” Dhanush and Nithya Menen in a still from ‘Thiruchitrambalam’ Nithya affirms that she is not an actor who likes to choose characters with the expectation of an award. “That’s one thing I have not clearly done,” she says and it’s obvious for those who have caught her avatar as the friendly-girl-next-door Shobana in Thiruchitrambalam or her other roles in Tamil films like Mersal and O Kadhal Kanmani . “My drive has always been to choose exciting films.
I want to leave the world a better place than what it was when I came in. I wouldn’t say I like doing very morose themes or exhibiting nega.