Sarvam Maya star Nivin Pauly: Success and failure are inevitable when you seek to widen your range as an actor

Malayalam star Nivin Pauly, who is all set for his Christmas release Sarvam Maya, gets candid about his upcoming movies, what Nithin Molly reminded him of and his affinity for common-man roles

Nivin Pauly in a still from Sarvam Maya

As Malayalam star Nivin Pauly begins talking to OTTplay about his Christmas release Sarvam Maya, there’s a sense of ease about him — something that felt missing during interviews ahead of Thuramukham or Padavettu, when there was an underlying anxiety about how audiences would respond to his characters. From the posters and promos of Akhil Sathyan’s Sarvam Maya, it’s clear that Nivin is back in a space he genuinely enjoys, and one his audiences have long wanted him to return to.

In this candid conversation, Nivin opens up about the film, his fondness for playing the everyday common man, why he has chosen to do more entertainers, and his upcoming projects with Vineeth Sreenivasan and Alphonse Puthren.

At a time when actors across industries are criticised for not taking a social stand in their films, you have done movies that have dealt with socially-relevant subjects – be it Thuramukham, Mahaveeryar and Padavettu and even your latest web series Pharma. Did it just happen, or was it a conscious decision to be part of these films, especially when entertainers are your comfort zone?

Knowingly or unknowingly, those subjects resonate a lot with me; I believe these are issues that need to be discussed, and I need to be part of those stories. In cinema, the box-office figures matter because that’s the major metric with which you measure success. On the other hand, I also want to grow. It’s easy for me to be part of entertainers, comedies and romantic films, and I can keep doing them. But if my career has to have a longer shelf-life, I need to evolve, and to do that, I need to collaborate with different directors, work on different themes and play characters of varying intensity. That’s the only way you will be refined as an actor.

If you look at our biggest stars, Mammukka and Lalettan, you will see that they never limited themselves to the roles they were most comfortable or successful in. They also chose characters that came with a certain degree of risk and in doing so, widened the spectrum of roles they could portray. When you chase that kind of repertoire, success and failure are inevitable. But as an actor, the experience you gain is truly irreplaceable.

That said, striking a balance is an art. You can’t keep taking on risky roles for five years straight. If you’re doing four films, let one push you out of your comfort zone and let the other three play to your strengths. That’s the balance worth maintaining.

Did the reception to your cameo as Nithin Molly in Varshangalkku Shesham last year feel like a validation of what the audiences expect from you?

Only after its release. After the kind of reception the character got, I realised this was what the audience wanted from me. It wasn’t those large-than-life or action characters. They wanted an actor who could make them laugh and entertain them. That’s why I thought maybe it’s time to do more entertainers and ultimately, we are doing films for the audience. We owe them everything, and it’s important to satisfy them through our movies. That’s why I have decided to do more happy, feel-good movies going forward.

Also read: Pharma review: Nivin Pauly-PR Arun’s series will make you ponder before you pop a pill next time

Was the shuffle of certain projects like Thaaram also part of that?

Thaaram got delayed due to various reasons. There were production issues as well. We are trying to revamp it. In the case of Dolby Dineshan, the producers weren’t happy with its script; so there are talks of converting it into another movie. That’s why, despite the announcement, the films didn’t happen.

Sarvam Maya has got all the trappings of a Nivin Pauly film that the audiences have been longing for. Plus, it’s directed by Akhil, who penned his debut film Pachuvum Athbutha Vilakkum with you in mind. Did that pave the way for this film?

We had discussed the thread of this movie some time ago. He wrote the first draft and it wasn’t something that clicked with me. Then we took a break and he returned with another version, which we decided to go ahead with. There were a lot of tweaks and improvisations on the sets as well. It’s a family, kid-friendly ghost story.

It was great working with him because as a director, he makes you feel at ease on his sets. It was also well planned. We started the shoot in June and now we are releasing it on Christmas. These days, it takes at least 8-10 months for a movie to start filming and hit theatres.

Are these the kind of sets you feel most comfortable working in as well? With feel-good films like this, it really helps when everyone is in a positive space that allows you to be free and contribute creatively, doesn’t it?

Yes, of course. It was the same vibe that I had while working with Vineeth (Sreenivasan) and Alphonse (Puthren). When a group of friends get together, that ambience is different. Akhil could create that kind of atmosphere during Sarvam Maya’s shoot. When you are more relaxed, you also get to think more about the movie; as in, you invest your energy to better your scene because everything else is taken care of.

Also read: Nivin Pauly says Action Hero Biju faced negativity, confirms sequel plans still on

Akhil had compared the Nivin-Aju Varghese combination to the Mohanlal-Sreenivasan duo from Sathyan Anthikad’s films. In a way, it feels apt, because many of your successful films feature characters who really connect with the masses. Do you feel that you are the most effective when portraying the everyday common man?

It’s the space I enjoy the most — the stories of the common man. As I had mentioned earlier, they connect with me. Everything else is an attempt from my side.

When you look back at movies with Sathyan sir, Priyan sir, Sreeni sir or Lalettan, we remember their comedies the most. Today’s social media trolls, memes, WhatsApp stickers and those T-shirt-worthy one-liners all trace back to these films. The reason is that we relate to these movies and that’s why they are still relevant. The next generation will also remember the movies that they connect with, and my pursuit has always been to be part of such films.

For an actor, failure is just as important as success, because there’s always something to learn from it. How do you think you’ve evolved as a person and an actor, especially after the lean phase post-pandemic?

I don’t know if I have been able to use those lessons. I believe that with every film, you learn something new that will benefit your later films. I just wrapped up shooting a film with B Unnikrishnan sir, whose method is different from the previous filmmakers I have worked with. For me, that’s a learning experience, and I hope to use those in my future films. It’s an evolving process, and the idea is to keep working with as many different directors as you can.

You have also hinted that you will be working with both Alphonse and Vineeth soon — two filmmakers who have mined and showcased your potential the best. Is that also a way to find that balance you had talked about at the beginning of the interview?

I hadn’t really thought about it that way. Both of those conversations came from a simple desire to collaborate with my closest friends again. All of us want to make good films, but we’d rather arrive at that organically than force it to happen. We are all slowly finding that common ground now.

Sarvam Maya FAQs:

Q. What is the plot of Sarvam Maya?

A. Sarvam Maya is a horror-comedy that revolves around a young priest whose life is disrupted after coming across a spirit. This leads to him questioning his faith and everything he has believed so far.

Q. Who directed Sarvam Maya?

A. Akhil Sathyan, who had previously helmed Fahadh Faasil's Pachuvum Athbhutha Vilakkum, is the director of Sarvam Maya. This is his second directorial venture.

Q. What are Nivin Pauly's upcoming films in 2026?

A. Nivin Pauly has Dear Students, Baby Girl, B Unnikrishnan's upcoming movie and Bethlehem Kudumba Unit in Malayalam. He is also part of Benz and Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai in Tamil.

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