Nabha Natesh, who was last seen in the Telugu film Darling (2024), is currently promoting her upcoming film, Nagabandham, which will be released in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada and Malayalam. This is one of the biggest films of her career, and Nabha is a picture of excitement ahead of Nagabandham's release on July 3. “This is a very important film for me. The role of Parvathi in Nagabandham is something I have never done before. It is definitely a surprise because the character has many layers,” says Nabha, revealing that she plays the character of Parvathi, a Vedic student, who stands by her loved ones no matter what. The young actor also points out that she plays an author-backed role in the film, and says, “Every decision Parvathi takes in the film becomes an important part of the journey, which is deeply rooted in Indian culture."
Nagabandham plays out in two timelines, the 1960s and the 1700s, and Nabha shared that her look in the film, her costumes, and the entire outlook felt like being in a festival. “I felt like I was transported to another era. I felt like I was living in Brindavan, where festivals happen in the evenings," says Nabha, who shares that her Sringeri roots helped her connect with the character naturally. “I come from a temple town, and this environment was second nature to me. Once I entered that space, I automatically became Parvathi.”
The film, which is mounted on a large scale, has been shot on multiple grand sets showcasing the various worlds of Nagabandham. Talking about the visual grandeur of the film, Nabha says, “Every three months, a new set was created. When I first entered the set, I actually wondered where I was. Nearly ten different sets were built, including villages, temples, caves, and many more.” She also highlighted the difference in the filmmaking process, especially when making grand films in such genres. “Usually, in films of this scale, actors perform mostly in front of green mats. But here, we acted in proper sets and locations, which made the experience much more realistic."
Nabha, who started off playing the lead in Shivarajkumar's Vajrakaya (2015), went on to concentrate mainly on Telugu films. She played starring roles in notable films such as Nannu Dochukunduvate (2018), iSmart Shankar (2019), Disco Raja (2020), and Maestro (2021). These offered her a variety of roles, and that's exactly what Nabha wants to do with the rest of her career, as well. She asserts that her search has been towards moving away from playing regular commercial roles. “I wanted to play different characters from what I have done before. I want to tell beautiful stories and be part of films that reach audiences across the country, not just one region,” says Nabha, adding that there's a reason why she hasn't been featured prominently in the promotional materials of Nagabandham. “My character is very important to the story and has some surprise elements. That is why the makers are keeping it a secret. It will have a strong connection with Rudra, the protagonist, and will also bring a lot of entertainment.”
Talking about working with Viraat Karrna, who plays Rudra in Nagabandham, Nabha praised his dedication to the craft. “We shot almost 60 per cent of the film in night schedules. Imagine shooting in Hyderabad winters. He shot bare-bodied during these portions, and yet, he always had a smile on his face. He is very dedicated, and it was a great experience working with him,” says Nabha, also sharing words of appreciation for Abhishek Nama, the director of Nagabandham. “He is a visual arts student, and he prepared everything before we went for the shoot. He paid attention to even the smallest of details like my hairstyle, and knew what he wanted from his actors."
Nabha, who had never acted in a period film before, suddenly finds herself working in two such projects. Both Nagabandham and Swayambhu are billed as pan-Indian period films, and Nabha, who is upbeat about both films, points out that the characters she plays are completely different. “Both look like period films, but the stories are completely different. I play Sundaravalli in Swayambhu and Parvathi in Nagabandham, and both characters are very different,” says Nabha, who has spent almost three years on both these films. That explains the gap between her recent releases. “Yes, these kinds of films take a lot of time, and you need a lot of patience. But I am very confident about both films. Two and a half years of effort will definitely bring good results,” she signs off.
