Nikki Galrani, who made her acting debut in 2014 with the Malayalam film, 1983, describes her early film choices as “baby steps”, noting also that she doesn’t hail from a film background. “I barely knew how the industry functioned. Understanding what kind of films to do and what not to do, has been a great learning process,” shares Nikki, who featured in the recent release, Rajavamsam. “I have not learned everything and have a long way to go.”
Acknowledging that her perspective towards cinema and acting has evolved over the last seven years, Nikki admits, “Initially, I was all about the ‘number’ of films I was doing. That’s how we all tend to think, right? The more, the merrier. But now, I have reached a point where I seek quality. Even if I do only a couple of films a year, I ensure that it is good cinema.”
The Kalakalappu 2 actor also shares that there are multiple factors she parses in a script before accepting it: the content, her character, the actors, and the director, to name a few. “I would say everything matters in a project because cinema, I believe, is a package, and strong fundamentals encourage me to be a part of the film,” she says, adding that there have been instances in her career when she chose to turn down scripts—even those she dearly liked—due to many factors, including lack of faith in a director’s ability.
“Only when every craft comes together to deliver a great product, will the producer benefit. Cinema is a business, after all, and producers risk their money,” says Nikki, who shares to not understanding why audiences sometimes don’t encourage ‘good cinema’. “Sila nalla kathaigal paaka audience vara maataanga, but some average films end up making the big bucks. Thanks to the emergence of OTT platforms, this landscape is gradually changing.”
The actor is confident that OTT opportunities will allow her to explore her craft further. “I have been getting offers, but I’m not entirely happy with them. I don’t want to be a part of films or series where I appear in a couple of scenes and then disappear. I’m looking for scripts where my character has prominence.”
Nikki, who has nearly 30-odd films to her credit, has had her share of hits and duds, and she admits that overcoming failures is harder than it seems. “It hurts, definitely,” she says. “However, I believe in compensating for a flop by channelling my energy in the right direction and coming up with something better.”
The actor might have stayed away from the big screen for two years, but she has remained active on social media. How important is it for actors to stay relevant through social media? “Very important,” she says. “It is not like the old days when viewers got to see actors only on the big screen. It doesn’t work that way anymore; there’s so much pressure to be seen on social media. I don’t think every facet of life needs to be shared with the world. I’m not someone who will live on social media; I am careful to curate what aspects of my life I share with people. Being in touch with fans is important, but more important is having a life of your own.”