Young Jikki Padhoo's new music video Deja Vu has been getting wide acclaim

Once you start interacting with her, you’ll be instantly amazed by her vision and clarity of mind. In just her third year of college, Gaanam Nair aka Jikki Padhoo, is already a filmmaker, photographer, lyricist and designer.

Her latest music video, Déja vu, has been getting critical acclaim owing to its touching lyrics and brilliant visuals. Jikki speaks at length to DC, about her multifaceted nature, love towards filmmaking, and how she aspires to break the age-old stereotypes in the ad industry.

“When I shot my latest video (Déja vu) as a part of my college project, I didn’t expect it to take off so well. I’ve been getting positive responses since the first few days post  release and it’s overwhelming to say the least,” starts Jikki.

Speaking about the best compliment she has received so far, the visual communication student says, “I heard from many people that they cried after watching the video. As a filmmaker, it’s one of the most satisfying things to hear.”

The touching video is about  a romance between a young couple. It has two different settings, the first being a modern love story in a city, while the second one is the story of a couple in a rural setting. But, Jikki had to face a few challenges along the way . “My fiancé, who was abroad, had come down to feature as the lead actor, and due to his busy schedule we had to shoot it quickly. As I had a very small budget, everything had to be spot on.”

Shifting the focus towards her other interests, she says, “Though filmmaking is my first love, I don’t want to be one-dimensional. I’m a freelance photographer and a good designer, too. I always try my hand at different things,” she exclaims.

She adds that though her fiancé and her brother want her to ply her trade in the US, her heart is rooted in India. She also sees herself as an ad filmmaker in the future. “When you see ads today, most of them objectify women and glorify fair skin. I would definitely want to break this cliché and bring my own perspectives to this field.”

On a concluding note, we enquired if she would like to see herself acting in the future. “I do! In fact, I have written a script based on a real-life experience I had. I think only I can do justice to the lead role and it would be a half-hour film,” she signs off.