Nandini K is a visually impaired girl, but for her that’s is no excuse to not pursue her dreams. This young girl, a beneficiary of Samarathan Trust, has been selected to star in an upcoming Tamil film, tentatively titled Kukko. The film is based on the challenges faced by visually impaired people. It will be directed by Raju Murugadas who has previously assisted director Linguswamy.
Nandini is currently an under-graduate student of Arts at St Joseph’s College and is excited by the prospect of being in the movies. She says, “I will play the second lead as a college student who is the heroine’s friend. The lead role is being played by Lakshmi Menon. My role is not just about playing somebody’s friend in the movie but about highlighting the life of a visually impaired person.”
Nandini was spotted by the film’s crew during a visit to Samarathan Trust’s premises in J P Nagar. “In March, a film crew from Chennai came over. They asked us to read out some dialogues in Tamil. In fact, my friends and I were not even aware that it was all for a movie. I have been part of various dramas in school and college and am comfortable with Tamil. So delivering the dialogues was a breeze. In May, I was asked to visit Chennai for a second round of auditions. It was there that I was told that I had bagged a role in the film. It was really unexpected. It feels like a once-in-lifetime opportunity and I want to make good of it,” says Nandini of her debut. “If my talent is appreciated , I will continue to be part of films. Otherwise, I am happy doing theatre in college. I haven’t really planned all that much ahead.” On Saturday, Nandini will leave for Chennai, again, to attend a film acting workshop being conducted by Kukko’s team. “I have been told that workshop will allow me to learn the technique of facing a camera. I will get to meet the director and other actors in the film. This will be a learning process,” she says.
Nandini hails from Konapalli, Chintamani. Her father is a farmer and her mother, a homemaker. “My parents are very excited about the developments. They never expected such things to happen to them or me. We have no connection whatsoever to films, so you can imagine how thrilling this feels. I had not revealed to my friends about my film role. It was my college that put up the news on the general notice board and since then I have become a hot topic on campus and among my friends who stay with me at the Trust. All my friends are happy for me,” says Nandini.