Grappling with an intriguing language

A young woman living in Iraq during the brutal rule of Saddam Hussein, she was witness to the rape and killings of women and men and yearned for peace and freedom for herself and her family. The woman was even jailed for her political beliefs but she hoodwinked her guards and escaped to Syria and from there to Moscow and finally made a life for her family in America. That was a decision she made out of compulsion and not by choice but years later when her daughter decided to follow her heart and become an actor, it was by choice.

Reem Kadem showed the same courage as her mother when she decided to foray into the highly competitive world of Hollywood films and sitcoms. She has now taken the bold decision to face the unknown by embarking on an unseen journey to an alien land and to act in an unknown language by signing on the dotted line for the Malayalam-English bilingual Naval enna Jewel to be directed by Ranjith Lal. Reem will be playing the title role of Naval who is born to a Malayali mother and an Iranian father.

Dressed in a floral print dress, the very beautiful Reem surprises by enquiring in chaste Malayalam, “Namasakaram, enthokke undu vishesham? (Greetings, how are you doing? )” It turns out she has been diligently learning Malayalam for the past four months. Explaining why she decided to take up the role, Reem says, “The role has so many colours and emotions and it showcases many different facets in the characters life. What I absolutely love is that it involves a womans journey through major obstacles. I feel that as a woman, these kind of stories, be it from any part of the world, about the struggle of women and their empowerment are powerful subjects and need to be told. My mother is an empowered woman and someone I absolutely admire and in Naval I saw another courageous woman I wanted to play!”

The language barrier is no doubt a challenge and Reem says, “I have not faced a more difficult obstacle in my life. I never knew a word of Malayalam when I was cast for this project. The makers were very large-hearted and asked me not to worry but I knew that my commitment extended to speaking the language too. I am the kind of person who if I commit to something goes the whole nine yards. I went through the translations and got a trainer and heard different versions of Malayalam through audio and visual mediums.

The language is intriguing.” Reem jokes that she felt like she was back in high school memorising her notes. But she is keen about dubbing for the film herself; she is yet to step out to visit any of the tourist attractions and prefers to spend time in her hotel room getting her diction right.  She adds, “The learning is consuming me and it is the fear of not achieving something that makes me work harder towards it and when you do achieve it, it is the most satisfying feeling in the world!” She is totally thrilled to be acting in the bi-lingual as the international appeal would become stronger.

Kerala to Reem is a land rich in heritage and beautiful sights. Since Shwetha Menon would be her co-star, Reem has watched the film Salt and Pepper and recently saw Charlie. She would love to explore other Indian projects and informs, “As an actor it is the work that excites and I am open to more opportunities.”

Based in California, Reem speaks about her foray into Hollywood,  Acting was never in the cards for me or my family and I had a tough time convincing my parents but it has been a wonderful career. It was not a simple overnight decision. I come from a family of deep seated traditional values and wanted to be a lawyer. Luckily though a competitive industry, I never had to encounter the kind of situation my mother faced and it makes me appreciate the freedom I have in America.  Acting chose me and I have some great projects. What I am looking forward to is a film that I co-wrote, inspired from my life, and I am acting in it too and we are set to shoot this year. Before parting she says,  “It is about following your calling — there are people who resist it and remain miserable or you can take a risk and be happy.”