How does an actor’s life change after winning the National Award? “I have not slept for almost two days now,” says Nithya Menen, when asked what feels different after winning the “I am still getting calls from well-wishers. On the day my award was announced, I was overwhelmed with love. I had actually planned to do some script work with a few friends at my house.
I prioritised my script work over the award announcement. I put my phone on silent after the announcement and dived deep into work. I took it back only at 11 PM, and by the time I finished responding to all the messages it was 6 AM,” she narrates the events of the night.
In this conversation, the actor opens up about the different kinds of compliments she has been receiving, why subtle performances are tougher than intense ones, the role of her co-stars Dhanush and Bharathiraja, and more It is not easy to perform with subtlety, it is a lot of work. Intense emotions like crying or screaming are easier than performing subtly, and writing and directing such subtle performances are equally tough. This win challenges the traditional perception of what constitutes an award-worthy performance.
Take Raghuvaran sir for example, he did not do anything dramatic, but there’s always something so extraordinary about his performance. Not once in my wildest dreams did I think I would receive the National Award for a film like I have always felt that only certain genres can get you the National Award, like a biopic, a rol.