Seema keeps shining still

If someone lists the most recognisable faces in the Malayalam television industry, Seema G. Nair would be one major face featuring in it. When Seema started off her acting career as a theatre artiste in the 80s, she never thought it would turn out to be the profession she would stick on to for the years to come.

For Seema G. Nair, the opportunity to act came very accidently. Her debut in Cochin Sangamithra’s drama Kanyakumariyil Oru Kadamkatha in 1987 would change the destiny of a girl who had never dreamt of being an actress. Her brilliance in acting took her to mini screen, and then to cinema, where she would prove her mettle with a variety of character roles.

After all these years, Seema stays humble and talks enthusiastically about each role she is given.

She credits everything to her willpower and God’s grace, which helped her endure the hurdles in a career that saw scores of mini screen sops and more than 50 films. In her latest movie Karinkannan, she essays the role of the mother of the protagonist, played by Saju Navodaya.

“In many ways, I was motivated by the flow of my life. I have had bad moments and good moments. Over these years, I have learnt to adjust to everything that comes on my way,” says Seema. Following her mother Cherthala Sumathi’s footsteps into theatre, she showcased finesse and won two accolades both in drama and TV serials. But Seema says that though she had received lots of credits for her acting, she had never been offered a great role. “Yes, I have been lucky to work with many talented actors and directors. People associate me with natural and raw acting, but I don’t think I have been given the roles that go by that credit. I have never showed hesitance to accept any role that I have been offered with, and I believe I did justice to each one of them.”  

 Seema says that she has had too many bad experiences in the industry, which cost her many roles. “For an artiste like me, opportunities matter. There are many incidents. When they start the project they would include my name, only to tell me later that there are no roles for me in the film. Experiences like that made me really sad, but I continued fighting because of my circumstances. Thankfully, for the past 10 to 12 years, I have been getting some decent roles and I am grateful to God for that. Working with Adoor Gopalakrishnan sir was a great opportunity for me,” says Seema. Movies like Chronic Bachelor, 1983, Happy Journey, Apothecary, Kunjiramayanam and Kattappanayile Rithwik Roshan proved her mettle.

 Seema is busy at the moment working in a handful of movies in both Malayalam and Tamil. Cheran’s upcoming movie Thirunaman, Ajith from Aruppukottai, which is the Tamil remake of Kattappanayile Rithwik Roshan, a movie with director Lal Jose, Krushithan and Mafi Dona are among them.

She is in talks with a few more projects that she expects to start rolling soon.