With 25 films to his name, Nivin Pauly is riding the wave of success.
This year opened well for Pauly with three successful films in a row, Oru Vadakkan Selfie, Ivide, and Premam.
Premam, directed by his close buddy Alphonse Puthran, is not a stereotypical love story and shows Pauly in three looks as his character, George, goes through different stages of life.
After playing a sweet boy in Thattathin Marayathu, Pauly has been experimenting with roles, be it the playboy Shibin of Shyamaprasad’s English; Ichcha, the waiter with a psychological disorder in Arikil Oraal; or the passionate cricketer Rameshan of 1983 who tries to fulfil his dreams through his son. The former IT professional, who quit an enviable job to pursue his heart’s calling, does not disappoint in upcoming Premam, and Ivide.
Meet Pauly in an exclusive with tabloid!.
How did you prepare for Premam?
Since I had to go through three different looks for the film, it took six months in the making, unlike other Malayalam films that are wrapped up within 45 days. Alphonse worked on the script for over a year. Getting into George’s teenage years, when he was a giddy boy in love was not easy at this point of my life. I had to relate to something that I had left behind.
On the sets we bonded over workshop sessions, football games played with a tennis ball and cricket matches in the neighbouring fields. It got us into the mood of being teenagers once again. The teens is a crazy phase where all you do is chill with friends and do stupid things when in love, like the character in Premam who tries to impress Mary with his Arabic. Drawing references from my life and from friends around, I worked on portraying the young George.
What about getting into George’s second phase?
I had to work on my emotions. It was not just about growing a beard and looking tough. When I first read about George’s love for Malar, I was eager to know who would be playing Malar. Alphonse showed me her video and I was convinced. Today, Sai Pallavi, who played Malar, is the darling of the masses. When George loses Malar’s love, he is shattered. That scene involved deep emotions. George is shocked and angry and he breaks down.
How about the last phase?
By then, George is in his thirties and settled down, a far cry from the teenager that he was. I had to deliver a subdued and mature performance, not just in terms of body language but also in my voice. For this part we dubbed in the early hours of the morning, when the voice sounds more bass and grown up.
What about working with Alphonse?
We have been friends since childhood and belong to the same parish. Our families are close friends. It is important that the director and actor share good chemistry, more important than even between the hero and heroine. Only then it is well reflected on-screen.
Did Ivide take you back to your days at Infosys?
Yes, I recalled my days with Infosys. It helped me understand Krish Hebbar, an ambitious and hard- working guy. Having worked with Shyamaprasad earlier, I am always eager to do more films with him. He is a wonderful filmmaker who brings in a different school of filmmaking. It helps me grow as an actor. Shyamaprasad has this ability to steer you and widen your perspective on films.
What’s next?
I am now working on Abrid Shine’s Action Hero Biju. It’s a cop role. I have put on around 8kg to look like a bulky and heavy sub-inspector. The film traces his personal life and career and is shot in sync sound. I am also in talks on signing a Tamil film soon. After wrapping up Abrid’s film, I am taking a break with family. My three-year-old son is getting talkative and I have not been able to spend much time with him. Whenever he sees me on television, he gets all excited and claps in glee. And I need to catch up on sleep.