I said no to major films for ‘Chatha Pacha’: Vishak Nair on breaking out of the box as Cherian

If Christy Xavio from 'Officer on Duty' gave Vishak Nair the much-needed breakthrough, Cherian from 'Chatha Pacha' stands as a testament to his versatility as an actor capable of inhabiting vastly different shades. “I see my career as a marathon, not a sprint,” Vishak says. “I can play a variety of characters—villains, grey roles, and more. Since 2025, I’ve finally been getting the kind of parts I truly want to do. Kuppi from 'Anandam 'boxed me into a certain image, and I was waiting for a transformation. 'Officer on Duty' was the beginning, and with 'Chatha Pacha,' the transformation continues.”

Christy and Cherian are both villains, but Cherian, a bodybuilder with an imposing presence, also carries an unexpected streak of humour—something Vishak pulls off with ease.“Most of Cherian’s villainy stems from deep insecurity,” he explains. “He’s an egomaniac, yet incredibly insecure. I’ve spoken before about how even Sanjay Gandhi, whom I portrayed in ‘Emergency,’ was insecure. Cherian’s bravado is just a mask. You rarely see Cherian’s eyes, so it’s hard to know what he’s truly thinking behind the façade he projects. Only in a few intimate moments, when his face is finally revealed, do you realise the extent of his pain, insecurity, and unresolved ‘daddy issues.’”

Vishak revealed that he had to turn down some major projects from other film industries because of his commitment to 'Chatha Pacha.' “I had heard the narration even before Officer on Duty, around March–April. From then until the end of the shoot, I couldn’t take up anything else. This was a film that demanded serious preparation—the action was intense, and the character is a bodybuilder. Obviously, he had to look a certain way.”

The physical prep was exhaustive. “We each had a personal trainer and focused heavily on action—stunts, safety, everything. For almost two months, it was gym, training, running, proper sleep—that was my entire life.”

Though Vishak has always maintained a gym-centric lifestyle, this preparation was different. “Luckily, I had a great personal trainer. We followed a scientific, custom-made programme. In a strange way, the lockdown-style discipline helped me get into Cherian’s headspace. It became psychological—constantly looking at myself in the mirror, comparing, wanting more abs. That obsession mirrored the character’s own mindset.”

The process wasn’t without setbacks. Vishak suffered a lower back nerve injury during training and had to undergo massages and therapy for four to five days. “Even during the shoot, we were managing pain. My trainer guided me on what I should and shouldn’t do—otherwise it could’ve become much worse.”

So physically demanding was the shoot that actor Arjun Ashokan’s caravan jokingly turned into an OP ward. “Someone or the other was always on medication or needed medical attention,” Vishak laughs. “We had even informed the nearby hospital that we’d be coming in frequently, because the film required such intense physical work.”

One of Cherian’s most striking traits is his constant use of sunglasses—a deliberate choice that adds to the character’s mystery. “It was interesting because when you’re not using your eyes much, removing the shades once in a while holds a lot of value. Cherian is always projecting—this ‘everyone works for me’ attitude," he says. "To emphasise the actor’s ego-mania, the makers even striked down names of other characters and called them all ‘Cherian’ in the promotion material. At one point, they even removed my own name. My hope is that audiences empathise with him. It’s easy to brand someone as good or bad, but when you think deeper, there’s no absolute right or wrong. He does many things that are not okay—but if people can still empathise with him, that’s a win for me as an actor.”

World Wrestling Entertainment, Vishak adds, has had a lasting influence on his life and performance. “It was an integral part of my childhood—playing with siblings, wearing costumes, imagining entry music. For millennials, we grew up with The Undertaker, The Rock. I don’t think kids experience that now in the same way. In a sense, this film let me live out childhood fantasies I’ve had since I was five.”

What drew him most to 'Chatha Pacha' was its rawness. “It’s not stylised action drama. When I joined, there were no big names associated with the project. Once I heard the narration, I said yes immediately. This isn’t the kind of film you get to do every day.”