Neeraja is a 2023 movie in which Govind Padmasoorya appears in a cameo, but pivotal role. About the movie, this is what the makers have to say: If you lose your spouse, will your desires die with it? Neeraja is frankly asking the questions that she was hesitant to ask until now. She finds answers through those who come into her life with love and lust.
In a brief chat with TNIE Online, television presenter and actor, Govind Padmasoorya aka GP, shares his experience and emotions about acting in this movie.
Can you tell us about your experience working on your upcoming movie Neeraja?
Before I go into Neeraja in detail, let me tell you what my role is in Neeraja. I appear briefly in a cameo role. The reason why I say cameo role is that I appear in a song sequence. The movie begins with that song. And it's been some time since I've done a film in Malayalam, so I always wanted to do something striking, or something big, when I'm doing a Malayalam movie.
After being active in the Telugu industry for a long time, when I do Malayalam, I want to do something bigger, but the reason I want to do such a film in Malayalam is that I was impressed with the subject, I really thought that this is an important or a topic that should be spoken. And the other reason is I liked the director's genuinity when he approached me. Even though my screen presence is like 3 to 4 minutes I'm a very important element in the movie.
How excited are you about your new release?
I'm always excited and very excited, not only in films, I'm excited in everything I do. So definitely, whether it's small or big, I'm very excited about the new release.
Can you tell us about your experience working on your upcoming movie Neeraja?
I had a great experience working with a beautiful and power-packed team. We really enjoyed working together. An interesting element in this is that the last prominent film I did in Malayalam was Pretham. In that, the person who did the title character, Sruthy (who is the heroine in Neeraja), was only there for 3.4 minutes, but the whole cinema was about her. Now, after so many years, when I do a Malayalam film, I am only 3,4 minutes in that film. But the whole cinema is about me. So it seemed like an interesting coincidence to me.
How do you think this movie differs from other movies in its genre?
The genre of this movie is different because I don't do such serious movies. My first film Atayalangal was meritorious. That's how it began, but later I was not able to do more of that kind of movie. I was doing commercial movies, especially of light, and what I was doing was peppy, larger-than-life genres. So it's been a while since I've done some serious or socially relevant movies, so that's how it's different.
What are you most excited for audiences to see in this film?
I don't think this is a very loud, big-scale film. This is a very serious film. I feel that it will be a film that can be related to a specific segment of the audience. And as I said, I felt this is a very important film, this has to be spoken about. That's why I did this film, and that's the exciting part about it.
How does your role in this movie compare to some of your previous acting work?
As I said I'm not doing a full-length character in this movie. But the whole story is about me. Without my character, the film does not exist. And more than my role or anything of that sort. Everyone has played a small role in this. All of us are a part of this film in a small way. Everyone is there, but they are in their way. We all feel that the subject is something that has to be discussed. It's a very important film.
How did you prepare for this role?
I didn't need much preparation. I just need to become comfortable. I needed to bring out romance with the heroine and I need to convince our intense relationship, I wanted to build rapport with the heroine. That was the only preparation I had to do. And that was very easy, as we had worked together earlier I tried to deal with it in the most mature way possible.
Can you share some memorable moments you had during the shoot?
There were only two days for me: the shoot day and the photo shoot day. And the photo shoot was the ice-breaking thing. On that day we all played, we cracked jokes, and we did many fun things in between the shoot. So it was very fun, and we all enjoyed every moment. It was just two days, but we had a lot of fun, and we all miss our time together. We all miss the set.
How does the audience respond to the song which was released?
Females have responded the most to the released song. Apart from public comments I personally got many messages and that too from the female audience. Somehow, they could relate to it, maybe because it's a movie for them or because it's a movie about them. And they also said the intense love and sorrow were very well conveyed in that 4-minute song. Such messages or responses made me happy.
Your working experience in other languages?
I have not been lucky enough to do many Malayalam films. It's like, I do about one a year now. But in the Telugu industry, I was able to do back-to-back films. I have done four movies within a span of two years. And I'm very happy because my three Telugu films were produced by superstars like Allu Arjun, Nagarjuna, and Nani. And I always feel blessed to be a part of big production houses and interact with superstars. And I also feel lucky to work with big directors too. And one important thing I experienced there was they have a huge respect for the actors from the Malayalam film industry.
How do you balance acting, anchoring, and vlogging at the same time?
I prioritize acting, vlogging, and anchoring accordingly. I like doing these things, but I don't think that I'm managing them well. I started vlogging during the Covid time when I was sitting at home doing nothing and at the same time when people wanted something positive and they didn't have much content. I tried to spread positivity. Then gradually when things opened up and I think I should give priority to my major profession, acting. And at the same time, I'll definitely find time in anchoring because initially people accepted and loved me through my shows.
Can you tell us about your future projects?
Future projects I think it's too early for me to say anything about it right now. I can just say that. Neeraja is just a warm-up. There are so many interesting things coming up that I'm working on them. I'll let you know when the time is right or it's ready to be shared. Things I'm working on take a little time and effort, but there are so many things coming up.
What message do you wish to convey to your audience?
Stay happy... We hope that we can entertain you. We'll try to touch your heart with the content we make. Thanks for all the support. The audience always considered me as a boy next door.
I have experienced it too. I feel so lucky and blessed to get this much love and support from my audience even now because it has been a long time since I did phenomenal work in Kerala. I've been away in other industries. But still, they continue to love and support me. The kind of love they shower and "still they have me in their hearts" means a lot to me. I'm always grateful for their generous love.