Actress by chance: Neha Rathnakaran

Neha Rathnakaran, first runner up at the Miss Malabar pageant, 2013 ended up starting her acting career in the Tamil film industry. Lately she was seen in her first Malayalammovie Chicken Kokachi. On her entry into films, she says, "I applied randomly for the Miss Malabar competition after my cousin advised me. Turned out I won the 1st runner up. I stayed away from modelling after that till I finished my high school."

Kannur-based Neha talks about her first movie experience for a Tamil film, Ivanuku Thannila Gandam alongside Deepak Dinkar. “I was scared.  I don't have a background in acting, I did not know how the industry works. I first committed to a Tamil movie so that I could learn something. Lot of good has happened due to it. My camera fears got taken care of after that.” Her second Tamil outing was Uchathula Shiva which also starred Tamil actor Karan. Neha is currently working on her seventh project.

“Two more Tamil movies are getting ready for release and a Telugu film as well. I am currently working for a Tamil movie in which I play a very strong and bold character who turns revengeful after marriage. The name of the movie is yet to be fixed,”she lapses into Tamil unexpectedly and laughs. “I am sorry about the Tamil,” she says. In between all this she made her first Malayalam debut through Chicken Kokachi.

“Director Anuranjan's wife is my sister's senior and that got me Chicken Kokachi. I looked the script of the movie which is another reason why I committed to do it.” Neha plays a simple girl next door in this movie. “I've always wished to play simple characters and I enjoyed playing this one, the character called Nitha.” “I never thought I will get into acting, but once I started getting offers I was like, why not try it.Moreover I had immense support from my family,”she winds up.