I feel like I’m only four years old in the industry:Nithiin

With ‘A...Aa’ slated to open in cinemas this Thursday, we catch up with the film’s lead actor Nithiin, who shares his thoughts about the family entertainer

Nithiin seems to have lost his moorings of late with his last couple of releases failing at the box office. But the actor exudes confidence with his forthcoming film ‘A...Aa’. Giving a back story on how the project happened, he recalls, “After ‘Attarintiki Daredi’, Trivkram Srinivas narrated me the plotline and we decided to take the film on floors immediately a couple of years back but unfortunately things did not materialise.

Later, both got busier. Last year, when one of my projects failed to take off, both of us thought it was the right time to collaborate and I’m glad I finally worked under him.” He will be seen in the role of happy go-lucky chap in the family drama. But how different is this role from his earlier films? “It’s a story that emphasises on relationships and family values.

I agree it’s not a new theme, but there’s a beautiful soul in the narrative that I could connect to. I play a chef and how my journey unfolds after meeting various people has been brilliantly written by Trivikram. My earlier films portrayed me as the one with careless attitude but my role in this film comes with a lot of responsibility.

There are also quite a few shades too. It's a very stylish character and a lot of thought has gone into styling. It's my most stylish avatar ever,” explains the actor Nithiin reveals that he had undergone workshops for the second time (after ‘Sye’) to look the part for the family drama.

“I generally talk fast and my dialogue delivery is also quick but Trivikram asked me to be composed and calm down for this film so that my dialogue delivery will be matured and organised. I could see the difference and I was amazed at the transformation and how the workshop helped overcome few difficulties.

I have decided to undergo workshop for all my forthcoming films before shooting,” he reveals. The ‘Ishq’ actor admits that he has been banking on romantic comedies to score hits. “Yes, that’s true because I did a few action-based films in the past and they backfired. I realised that only rom-coms and youthful entertainers suit my face and age. I may do action films down the line but for now I’m in a happy space with films based on romance genre.

Responding to the reports that the romantic entertainer would be a female-centric film, he comments, “There’s nothing like that, both me and Samantha have good and equal space. In fact, other support cast too was given due importance, after all, film is a team effort,” he explains, adding, “Samantha is a thorough professional and off-course she’s one of my best friends. It was a fantastic experience working with her.”

For the first time Nithiin has worked with Trivikram and he seems to be in awe of the maverick director. "It’s a dream come true for me. He is just the coolest director I've ever worked with. Nothing fazes him and I've never seen him lose his temperament. He’s a knowledge bank and has a say to every question. This is purely a director’s film and all the credit goes to him for the way he wrote and executed the project.”

Nithiin had his fan moment recently when Pawan Kalyan dropped in on the sets of the film. “I was surprised to see him. In fact, I had to shoot for a dance moment in front of him. Boy, I was very shy and nervous. And there’s only a little reference to Pawan Kalyan in the film,” he states.

It’s been almost 15 years since Nithiin has been in showbiz and ask him how’s the journey, he replies, “It’s been great! But I feel like I’m just four years old in the industry because I have started my second innings in 2012 (smiles). But I have learnt a lot during my journey on the kind of roles and scripts I should attempt,” he smiles, signing off.