“Ambili is actually my birthday gift; a thrilling gift that came to me when I was least expecting it,” says Naveen Nazim with a smile. The newbie actor who is all set to make his grand debut through the upcoming movie Ambili is actress Nazriya Nazim’s younger brother. In a candid chat, Naveen talks about how he landed the role in Ambili and also about his experiences working in it.
Ambili calling!
“Nazriya and I were born on 20th December. Though we share birthdays, we are not twins. We are actually a year apart. Every year we celebrate our birthday together. Director John Paul George offered me the role in Ambili after watching one of our birthday videos,” reveals Naveen. It was actor Soubin Shahir who called Naveen and asked whether the latter was interested to essay a character in a movie directed by John Paul, who had helmed a cult film like Guppy.
Confusion
“It is true that we are a filmy family. Nazriya, Shanu (Fahadh Faasil) and Farhan are all actors. I have even been to a few movie sets as well. However, I didn’t know anything about acting at all,” admits the youngster. Naveen is a final year BArc student at The SCMS School of Architecture in Ernakulam. He got tensed and was confused whether to accept the offer to act in the movie. “At last I called up my ‘hit maker’ sister who told, ‘Think about it Ichu; it is an amazing opportunity. If you are okay with it, just give it a try.’ Shanu too was very supportive. So, after that I didn’t have to think much and just went for it,” reveals Naveen.
Passion for traveling
Naveen’s character in Ambili is a cyclist, who is very bold and nurtures lots of dreams and passion. He is a bit emotional as well. Naveen says his character is shown as returning to his hometown after undertaking lots of journeys and the movie uniquely portrays the special friendship that he shares with Ambili, played by Soubin. Ambili is a loyal friend who is ready to do anything for Naveen’s character in the film. The movie features a handful of newcomers including leading lady Tanvi Ram.
Super star trainers
Naveen has nothing but great respect and admiration for his co star Soubin Shahir. “Soubin ikka is just amazing. He is a genuine artist who behaves with such humility. On my first day, I just froze when I heard the words ‘start, action, camera’. It was Soubin who encouraged me and gave advices, totally free of cost,” laughs Naveen. He says Soubin’s ‘special’ smile is enough to boost anyone’s confidence. “Nazriya and Shanu too helped me a lot. She is not just my elder sister, but my super cute friend,” says Naveen.
Waiting for release
The young actor is eagerly awaiting the release of Ambili and hasn’t committed any new project. Naveen aims to complete his BArc course as well. “Ambili is a family entertainer. Everyone, including the youth can enjoy it. We have been filming it for the last one and a half years, in various schedules,” notes Naveen. Ambili whose filming began in Kattapana, was shot at various locations in India including the beautiful cities of Jaipur, Ajmer, Goa and Maharashtra. The film’s cinematographer Sharan Velayudhan has mesmerizingly canned the exciting visuals at all these locations.
