I am passionate about modelling too: Mareena Michael Kurisingal

It is a kiss scene. ‘Mareena, so you kiss Vineeth Sreenivasan’, the director told her casually. When Mareena Michael Kurisingal stood there confused, Vineeth told her, it is ok, he had gone through the same tensions during Thattathin Marayathu, the second film he directed. There was a scene when the hero Nivin Pauly would kiss the heroine Isha on the forehead. Vineeth and Nivin had stood there tensed when Isha came and told them it is just one kiss, we will get it done. When Vineeth told Mareena this, she felt lighter. She had been nervous ever since she signed on to play his heroine in Aby, directed by Srikant Murali.

“It’s all big big actors. And Vineeth ettan told me he is also like me, tense, and not to worry,” Mareena says. She has been in the field for a bit now, about 10 films old but Mareena still has the same tensions of a first-timer. “I was introduced to Srikant sir by Anish Jacob. And he (Srikant) told me let’s meet, but will confirm about the role later. So I hadn’t even told my best friends about the role till we shot for a couple of weeks.” She likes the name of her character — Anumol Xavier. “She is Aby’s childhood friend, classmate, pair. His dream in the film is to fly and I support him.” Vineeth plays an autistic in the film.

“I play this naadan girl from Kattappana — Suraj Venjaramoodu’s daughter. There was no makeup, it is all raw. I didn't go to the parlour or get my eyebrows shaped for days. So the problem is that a few may recognise me on screen,” she laughs. Just before Aby, she had appeared in Happy Wedding, and before that, in Amar Akbar Anthony. She has also worked in Tamil and Kannada films. The next one she awaits is Chunkz by Omar Lulu, which will start shooting on the February 9th. Mareena is also quite passionate about her modelling work. “The whole work gets over in one or two days too,” she says.