Shining in Tamil films: Nikhila Vimal

In her Kannur Malayalam  there are traces of Tamil now. Nikhila Vimal has been spending so many days in Chennai, on the sets of Tamil movies, dubbing in her own voice, that she gets confused when she has to switch languages. “I am now in Chennai for the promotions of Kidaari, my new Tamil film opposite Sasikumar, so there is a lot of Tamil speaking happening,” says the young actor, who has just finished her degree course.

The movies in Tamil — Kidaari being her third one after Panjumittai and Vetrivel — have just been a natural progress. She did not deliberately stay away from Malayalam after Love 24x7. “My first movie as a heroine had been in Tamil — Panjumittai - which has not released yet. After that, it was in Malayalam for Love 24x7. And during the promotions of that, I got called for Vetrivel and then Kidaari,” she says.

Before all these, however, Nikhila had begun as a child actor in Sathyan Anthikad’s Bhagyadevatha. Even now, she is only finishing college and yet takes on mature roles opposite senior artistes like Dileep and Sasikumar. “I don't mindthat as long as I have a space in the story,” says she. “Sasikumar is more a director than an actor and there has been a lot of support from the entire team. Everyone in the crew knows the dialogues by heart and it was pure joy to go back to that same team for Kidaari.”

Kidaari is set in the 90s. “But it is not explicitly said so. It is up to the viewer to decide. However, Sasikumar dresses the 90s way, with long hair and my churidhars are stitched in old-fashioned styles. The characters have unusual names — I am Chemba, he is Kidaari, there is a Kombeya Pandiyan and a Lokanayaki. I have a funny side too,” she says. She had a funny side in Love 24x7 too, with that Thiruvananthapuram accent coming out of her unexpectedly. Off the camera too, Nikhila becomes funny the moment the director says cut.

“Like if it is a scene where I am crying, I start laughing the moment I hear cut or have some funny expression on. I just can't control that. So Balechi (Sreebala) started saying cut a moment later.” For Kidaari, she also had to learn to ride a scooty. “The TVS 50, I was learning to ride it throughout the film! I was scared of riding two-wheelers before that. Now I have an Activa,” says the cheerful girl, who will hopefully be seen in Malayalam soon.