Nazriya Nazim: The Spark That Refuses To Fade

IN MC’s Sookshmadarshini, Priyadarshini, a homemaker in her 30s, harbours a keen detective sense. Very early in the film, we see the sleuth side of her as she uncovers a minor deception of her husband. When her new neighbours move in, her detective instincts kick in, as she is convinced that the elderly lady’s son (Basil Joseph) poses a threat to the old woman. In one scene, Priyadarshini, determined to uncover the truth, walks into her house and casually tries to win her over. Nazriya’s signature spontaneity shines, and her empathy comes across as genuine. The combination of pluck, childlike enthusiasm, and charm works its magic in slipping into the character. “The older you are, your perspective changes. So you are thinking more about the character. That way I see an improvement as an actor. I do have an idea what I am going to do but [I am] not fixed on anything. My preparations happen on the sets,” Nazriya summed up her process in a recent interview.

A short, superlative career

Perhaps she is that rare child actor in Malayalam who successfully transitioned to leading heroine roles. Interestingly, her films as a child actor (Pramani, Palunku) really didn’t foreshadow her longevity (as is the case with Baby Shalini and Baby Shamili). Nazriya’s debut as a heroine coincided with Malayalam cinema’s new wave, emphasising unconventional narratives and characters. By then Dulquer Salmaan (Second Show, 2012) and Nivin Pauly (Malarvadi Arts Club, 2010) had made their debut and Fahadh Faasil was on the verge of his second innings. The audience was enthused by youth-centric stories, which would also be quite a departure from the larger-than-life superstar headliners.

Nazriya was indeed a breath of fresh air, a fact proven right from her debut in Alphonse Puthren’s Neram (2013) in which she plays Jeena, whose plans to elope goes awry, resulting in a comedy of errors. A lot of things worked in her favour—she was frightfully young, relatable, and talented and the camera loved her. There was an inherent mischief and innocence in Nazriya’s persona that resonated with the audience right away, especially when she managed to land age-appropriate roles.

In her Tamil debut, Raja Rani Nazriya’s character has all her signature qualities—whimsy, cheekiness, and assurance. Take her intro in which she does a cutesy jig, that has the hero (Arya) instantly smitten. It is to Nazriya’s credit that she pulls off the scene with such cheeky naturality. This trait perhaps has been a hallmark of her popular characters, including Pooja in Ohm Shanthi Oshaana. One isn’t sure what’s written on paper, but Nazriya’s performance is so authentic and spontaneous that it is difficult to delineate the confused, irreverent, and emotional Pooja from the actor. Her witty voiceovers, the whacky expressions, and the poignant sulks all contribute to a captivating performance, rendering Pooja as one of her defining roles.

Divya in Anjali Menon’s Bangalore Days again, is a more mature iteration of Pooja. But Divya takes time to figure out her aspirations and achieves her dreams without disrupting the patriarchal status quo. Divya’s arc is nicely developed—her initial camaraderie with her cousins Aju (Dulquer Salmaan) and Kuttan (Nivin Pauly) soon evolves into a deeper bond. When she gets married to Dev (Fahadh Faasil) she comes with all the forebodings of a new bride, excited and anxious about her new home and the guy who shows no signs of wanting to be with her. Nazriya skillfully conveys the confusions and anxieties of the 20-something Divya, as she reaches out to her cousins to make sense of the situation. While her scenes with the cousins are signature Nazriya, the ones with Fahadh take you by surprise. Especially take this portion when she returns to Dev’s house after knowing his past and the mock seriousness with which she tells him to send off the interfering maid. Or how she lets him know that she didn’t enjoy their dinner, Nazriya displays a very believable maturity.

“Nazriya has been doing films from a very young age. She isn’t camera-conscious. But does a lot of homework, as in doesn’t sit and discuss but gives random suggestions,” recalls Fahadh Fasil in an online interview.

Following Bangalore Days and her marriage to actor Fahadh Faasil, she took a hiatus— “I did think about it as soon as I got married. Fahad had taken a one-year break but no one asks about that. It wasn’t planned or anything. I take time and do films,” reflects Nazriya. But, unlike her contemporaries, she has had the privilege to pick and choose films in her comeback, owing to her industry connections. She has also been active in the industry as a producer (Kumbalangi Nights, Varathan, CU Soon, Aavesham).

Post her comeback, though one has to concur that her choices were judicious, except for Sookshmadarshini, none of them quite lived up to expectations. In Anjali Menon’s Koode, when Joshua (Prithviraj Sukumaran) starts hallucinating his sister Jenny’s presence, she is inadvertently helping him to tide over years of bitterness and loneliness. In hindsight, Jenny is made-to-order for Nazriya, with her inherent chirpiness and joie de vivre but she ends up overdoing the bubbly aspect, thereby diluting the depth of the character.

While Anwar Rasheed’s Trance was more style over substance and the character’s ambiguity on paper affected the performance. It was one of those instances when you felt Nazriya wasn’t quite fit for roles that stayed away from her Miss Goody Two Shoes image. Even her Telugu debut in Ante Sundaraniki despite the convoluted plot line, hardly posed any challenge to the actor in her as her Leela Thomas was a rehashed version of her popular characters.

But with Sookshmadarshini Nazriya appears to have shed her earlier bubbly persona, indicating a readiness to take on more complex and challenging roles. Interestingly, Nazriya has only done some 14 films so far, but she remains cherished and admired (much like Manju Warrier) and her “comebacks” are always eagerly anticipated and celebrated. There can’t be a better testament to her enduring talent and appeal.