Chatha Pacha’s only woman wrestler- Meet Carmen aka Nitro Kili: 'Every spin, every cross-body was real’

Carmen S Mathew made her acting debut with ‘Officer on Duty’ last year, but her journey since then has been anything but predictable. After playing a young girl who elopes with her lover in her second film ‘Ronth’, also directed by 'Officer...' maker Shahi Kabeer, she found herself stepping into a role she never imagined — that of a wrestler.

With no prior martial arts training, Carmen said the decision to cast her came as a surprise even to her, making the role one of the most unexpected and challenging turns in her young career.

Carmen told Onmanorama that she was completely unaware of the auditions for 'Chatha Pacha' until the film’s assistant director contacted her. “He was also the AD of 'Ronth', and told me that they were looking for a girl who could play a wrestler convincingly. Somehow, he felt I would suit the role,” Carmen said. That conversation led to a video audition, after which she was selected.

Although Carmen had no prior experience in martial arts, she was a serious mime artist who regularly participated in school and college youth festivals. She was also trained in dance and oppana, and had a strong interest in theatre. “Mime involves a lot of physical movement, and I knew that would help. Being a dancer also worked in my favour. All of this helped me get into the character of Kuruvi whose stage name is Nitro Kili, who is the only woman wrestler in an otherwise all-male gang in Chatha Pacha,” she said.

She was told that her character was bold, tomboyish, and independent. Even before the audition, she felt drawn to the role because it was very different from the usual female characters seen on screen. “Kuruvi was an integral part of the male gang of wrestlers. There was no romantic arc,” said Carmen.

According to her, the writers were very clear about including a woman wrestler in the film. Since the story relied heavily on drama, they wanted a small woman to fight a big, bulky man to heighten the impact inside the ring. “The idea was to shock the audience watching the match,” she said.

Carmen initially thought she would be fighting another woman, like the characters in Alappuzha Gymkhana. However, well into her second-day of training, she realised she would be fighting the boys. “Datu (Dartagnan Sabu) was paired against me in the ring, and he was extremely supportive. So were the stunt master and the other cast and crew,” she said. The training prepared the team for the demanding shoot days, though the journey was never easy. “Some portions of the shoot went on continuously for three days, and we had to maintain the same energy throughout,” she said.

Carmen admitted there were days when she was completely drained and she hoped to go home. “My stunt master gave me pep talks to keep my spirits high, and others cheered me on and reminded me of how the final product could be if I completed it as planned. That gave me the energy to continue,” she admitted.

In one particularly difficult scene, she had to be spun around several times and thrown down. She would then get up, exit the ring, and jump from the top to defeat Datu’s characters. “After being spun around repeatedly, I didn’t have the strength to get up in time, and Datu’s foot accidentally landed on my face,” she said.

She said the makers were particular that every fight scene looked real. “Initially, the actors avoided hitting each other, but the team felt it did not look convincing on camera and encouraged them to be more physical. Thankfully, we had a great team that supported us throughout.

"We had to actually hit each other during the violent scenes. That meant using our fists. Though WWE-style wrestling is staged, the pain is very real. There were days when our hands were swollen, but a hospital bed was always booked for us, so we were taken care of,” she said.

Her mother was understandably worried seeing her daughter get hurt on set. “But she knew I was in safe hands,” Carmen said. A teacher by profession, her mother would sometimes skip classes to be with her during the fight scenes. “She was supportive throughout. I remember we both cried when we watched the final film. Earlier, she was hesitant to let me act because she worried about travel and safety. Today, both my parents are my biggest cheerleaders, and they are extremely proud of me.”

She also recalled the day Mammootty arrived on the sets for the first time, soon after winning the Kerala State Film Award. “The atmosphere changed instantly. Until then, it was just us youngsters, but suddenly we felt like eager students watching a master at work,” she said. 

His first scene was shot in a hospital, and the entire cast was mesmerised by his performance. “Mammookka took the time to ask me about my studies and what I was doing. He was especially fond of little Vedhika, who played Rosa and always checked on her. At times, we all wished we were as young as Vedhu just so we could be carried around by him,” she said.

Carmen said she has sometimes been compared to state-award-winning actress Vincy Aloshious because of her looks. “I hear that at times. Maybe it has got to do with the hair. It is a nice comment, but after all, I am trying to carve out my own identity,” said the Thrissur native.