PremiumDabba Cartel: Nimisha Sajayan opens up about playing 'fearless' Mala - 'I find her to be...'
Actress Nimisha Sajayan was recently seen as Mala in the Netflix series Dabba Cartel. In an interview, the actress described her character as 'fearless' and 'independent' woman.
Last Updated: 01.04 PM, Mar 04, 2025
Nimisha Sajayan, who predominantly works in Malayalam movies, recently featured in Dabba Cartel. Directed by Hitesh Bhatia, the web show had its OTT premiere on February 28 on Netflix. The actress played the role of Mala in the series, which opened to mixed reviews. In a promotional interview with Bollywood Hungama, Nimisha revealed what made Mala (her character) relevant to her. The actress felt Mala was a 'layered' character.
Nimisha Sajayan on playing Mala in Dabba Cartel
Nimisha Sajayan spoke to the entertainment portal and shared that her role in Dabba Cartel has many layers to her personality. The actress said, "She's a single mother. She's dedicated to raising her daughter. She wants her daughter to achieve the dreams that she couldn't fulfil for herself. There's the scene where the daughter says, 'Mama, TV kuch zyada hi bada nahi hua hai?' Then Mala is like, 'Nahi beta, hum ghar bada lenge'."
The actress described Mala as a 'bold, strong, independent and fearless' woman. According to Nimisha, her character also carries some 'insecurities' which she tries to hide by displaying her fearlessness. "So I find Mala to be a very layered character. She has got many layers to her. And she's a beautiful character," added Sajayan.
In her opinion, Mala is also judgemental. But at the same time, the actress felt her character also tries to understand what Varuna (played by Jyotika) is experiencing rather than judging her in a scene. Before featuring as Mala in Dabba Cartel, Nimisha impressed everyone with her performance in Poacher.
More about Dabba Cartel
The Hitesh Bhatia directorial revolves around the story of five housewives who run a high-stakes secret cartel. Dabba Cartel's star cast also includes Shabana Azmi, Jyotika, Anjali Anand, Shalini Pandey, Lillete Dubey, Gajraj Rao, Jisshu Sengupta, Sai Tamhankar and others.
The series has been backed by Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani's Excel Entertainment. On the other hand, Bhavna Kher and Vishu Menon have penned Dabba Cartel's story. Shibani Akhtar, Vishnu Menon, Gaurav Kapur, Akanksha Seda are the creators of the web show. Keep following this space for more updates!