‘I don’t want to be just a showpiece’

... says Mahima Nambiar, who is happy about being cast in back-to-back thrillers

After four releases last year including a Malayalam film, Mahima Nambiar is gearing up for her first release of the year -- the Arulnithi-starrer Iravukku Aayiram Kangal. "The film, as the title suggests, is about a series of mysterious events over the course of one night. The film revolves around a few characters and most of the scenes have been shot at night," says Mahima who plays a nurse in the film.

"This crime thriller is different from my previous films as my character has a lot of depth and travels along with the script," adds Mahima, who heaps praises on the film's director, debutant Mu Maran (erstwhile assistant of Raghava Lawrence and KV Anand).

"He called me after the release of a video song from Kuttram 23 and said he was interested in roping me in for this film. He told me to listen to the script and then decide if I wanted to be a part of it. I was floored by the story," says Mahima, adding, "The suspense factor and my character got me hooked on to the film. Usually in a story, within a few minutes, we can predict what it'll lead to, but IAK is completely unique. It has been a great experience, and I knew right from the day Maran narrated the story to me that he was going to bring out the best from me."

From Mahima's filmography, it's apparent that she leans more towards the thriller genre. "I guess I have a thing for such scripts. If I had to choose between a rom-com and a thriller, I would go for the latter. I'm not a fan of romantic stories as I like films where women play bold roles; such scripts attract me a lot." Does this mean she'd prefer doing female-centric films? "Not necessarily. I always look for the quality of the film and my character. But I don't mind doing a 10-minute role as long as the character has something substantial to add to the story. I don't want to be a showpiece who just dances with the hero and disappears," says Mahima, who appeared in an extended but pivotal cameo in last year's Puriyatha Puthir. "Though I wasn't the heroine in that film, I loved the character Mridhula. At the end of the day, the depth of the character matters more."

Mahima says she learned many tricks of the trade from director Muthaiah, with whom she collaborated in last year's Kodiveeran. "Being a village subject, Kodiveeran was completely different from what I had done till then. The way Muthaiah sir portrays his female characters in a rural backdrop is intriguing. Working with him was the equivalent of going to an acting school." The film, which starred Sasikumar, featured Mahima in an important role, but the Saattai actor had a hard time getting into the skin of her character. "Muthaiah sir told me to behave like a woman and not as a kid, because I'm a messy person who talks and jumps around a lot (laughs). He kept pointing out that that's not how women in villages behave."

She also has Ayngaran in the pipeline, which will star her alongside GV Prakash. And interestingly, it's once again a thriller which will feature her as a nurse. "But it's completely different from what I play in Iravukku Aayiram Kangal. In IAK, I play a mature role which is very unlike my bubbly and naughty character in Ayngaran. The latter is something I can relate more to (laughs). We've almost finished the shooting, except for a song sequence. GV Prakash plays a scientist and what he's done in this film is different from what he's done to date."

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