Shane Nigam on Corona Papers: ‘Was confident I could play a cop as I had done Vela before’

From the start of his career, Malayalam actor Shane Nigam has worked with filmmakers – both young and veteran – and it’s a testament of sorts to his calibre that some of the most renowned directors in the industry pick him for their films. The latest is Priyadarshan, who chose Shane to play the lead in his upcoming venture Corona Papers.

For Shane too, the call was unexpected and equally thrilling. “I didn’t expect the call at all,” said the actor, in a recent interview. “He's a senior filmmaker and I am a young actor, so it was quite unexpected. But I was excited and when Badusha called me to say that Priyan sir has him story that he wants to narrate, I immediately went to Chennai to hear the script.”

Also read: Exclusive! Shane Nigam: After doing Ullasam, I have now gained confidence to pull off such roles 

The actor considers it a “huge blessing” for Priyadarshan to “even have considered” him for a role in the film. On his takeaways working with the veteran filmmaker, Shane said, “He has so much clarity in what he wants from an actor. Even if we have a doubt, he would explain it with utmost conviction. If it was a new director, he would have shot different options but Priyan sir, because of his experience, already has the exact shot edited in his mind; that for me was a totally new experience.”

Corona Papers, which also has Shine Tom Chacko, Gayathrie Shankar, Jean Paul Lal, Siddique and Sandhya Shetty, has Shane essaying the role of a police officer. “I did try to undergo physical transformation for the role. Also, because I did Vela before this movie, I was a bit confident that I could do the role. Priyan sir also guided me well,” he said.

Also read: Exclusive! Vela: Sidharth Bharathan explains why he decided to sign Shane Nigam, Sunny Wayne-starrer 

Vela, which is yet to release, had him don the khaki and boots for the first time in his career. “In Corona Papers, though there are scenes in which I wear the police uniform, my character is mostly in civil uniform,” said Shane. The movie is scheduled to hit theatres on April 7.