Gearing up for a memorable debut

Naveen Nazim was like any other student in his class, a prospective architect, by the time he left to do internship in Bengaluru from his college in Kochi. When it is over, he would have made the news for becoming an actor. He is the latest addition to a family of actors. You have heard that surname somewhere, right? Nazriya’s younger brother is getting initiated into cinema. It is in Guppy director John Paul George’s upcoming project Ambily that he begins his acting lessons. 

The norm being celebrity kids, siblings and relatives meet at the movie junction, nothing of that kind happened to Naveen. Meaning, the idea of him joining tinsel town was not plotted either by his actor sister or brother-in-law Fahadh Faasil. Naveen was caught unawares by the director many years back.  

“We first met three years ago when he came to our apartment in Kochi. I was drafted in for the film after we posted a video celebrating our birthday. My sister and I differ only by a year and I was born on her first birthday. Only once he discussed the movie with me did I inform Nazriya. It’s all up to me. Not like they are making me an actor,” he says. 

Naveen, with no prior acting experience, plays a boy his age smitten by the travel bug. “The character isn’t too different from me. I can relate my life to his. I’m comfortable playing the character and that’s all I can reveal now. I know John Paul chettan and Soubin ikka. I am confident that I can do it,” says Naveen. 

A fourth year architecture student at SCMS School of Architecture in Kochi, Naveen has one  more year to complete his studies. “A few friends of mine were aware of my acting plan. When the movie was announced, everyone came to know about it and they are all very supportive of me,” says Naveen. 

Now, the family is rejoicing over Fahadh’s national award win. “We were all shocked at first and feel happy for him,” he smiles. There were encouraging words from the brother-in-law about him making an acting stint. “He has worked with my director and they know each other. He told me he’s a good filmmaker,” says Naveen. 

In the final leg of his studies, Naveen doesn’t think managing studies and cinema would be a big deal. “I have not thought about what to do after my studies. As of now, I am happy,” he signs off.