'Lootera' all-time favourite, would love to collaborate with Vikramaditya Motwane: Nithya Menen

The actor, a polyglot, knows Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and English and has done films in all these languages. She hopes to work with people of different regions on stories that cross regional and language boundaries.

“I would love to collaborate with directors and writers who really see the potential in me and who are able to give me something that brings out my potential as an actor. I know there are so many amazing directors in Hindi... I feel like it's just the tip of the iceberg that I've done now. There's still so much that I can do, and I really hope it happens,” Menen told PTI in an interview.

Asked if she had a wishlist of people she wants to work with, the actor said she likes everything that Motwane, known for films such as “Udaan”, “Lootera” and TV shows “Sacred Games” and “Jubilee”, has made so far.

“At the top of my mind is Vikramaditya Motwane. And it comes to my mind because Lootera' is like my all-time favourite film. I always consistently loved everything he made. I remember always looking for, 'Who's the director and then seeing his name'. He tells real stories. He tells them effectively, cinematically and brilliantly. I think that would be exciting for me if I could do it,” she said.

Menen recently won the National film award for best actress for her role in “Thiruchitrambalam” alongside Manasi Parekh ('Kutch Express'). The actor, known for hits such as “Ala Modalaindi”, “O Kadhal Kanmani”, “Ustad Hotel”, “Bangalore Days” and “Mersal”, made her debut in Hindi cinema with “Mission Mangal”.

Though she has featured in Hindi series “Breathe: Into the Shadows”, she is yet to feature in another film in the language.

National Awards, she said, are the true validation for an artist.

“It actually changed something internally for me. I felt like there is a tick mark for every path that I've taken, every difficult choice that I've made throughout my career. Sometimes it's like bushes and thorns and there is no road there, but I kind of created my own path. It's beautiful to get validated for that.”

The secret to her varied career across languages, according to Menen, is her fearless attitude towards her craft. She sometimes faced criticism for declining roles that she felt didn't fit into the kind of stories she wanted to do.

“It shocked people and I got a lot of criticism. I got tagged as being arrogant and egoistic. Although I'm not at all (that). And I started to question, 'Am I doing something wrong?' but That No' was more from integrity. It was not from arrogance.

“Something that makes sense, I'll say Yes' and I'll do it for free... So, there was a very strong sort of integrity in how I wanted to do this, she said.

Menen will next be seen opposite Jayam Ravi in romantic comedy Kadhalikka Neramillai, directed by Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi.