Parvati Nair on Un Paarvaiyil: ‘It’s one of the toughest films in my career’

Parvati Nair’s long-delayed psychological thriller Un Paarvaiyil is all set to stream on Sun NXT this weekend (December 19). The film, which also stars Ganesh Venkatram, is helmed by cinematographer-turned-director Kabir Lal, who cranked the camera for films like Kaho Na Pyaar Hai, Taal, Pardes, and Yaadein.

Parvati Nair on her challenging role in Un Paarvaiyil

Parvati, of course, is pleased as punch with the news. So, did she see the original, the Spanish film Julia’s Eyes? “Yes, I did. The moment the team approached me, the first thing I did was watch the original to understand whether this was something I wanted to do. I really liked it, and that made me come on board.”

So how did she prepare for the character? “Honestly, there wasn’t much time to prepare. Unfortunately, even for female-oriented films, actresses are often cast at the last minute. This role demanded intense preparation because I was playing a woman with a degenerative eye condition, not fully blind, but someone who loses vision under stress. The challenge was portraying the variation—blurred vision in some scenes and sudden blindness in others. That shift required a lot of control. The team had faith in my acting, but I truly wished there had been more preparation time, especially since I was the main character.”

Parvati explains that the film was shot in multiple languages, with Gujarati and Bengali versions completed first before Tamil and Telugu. “When I watched the Tamil version, I immediately wanted to do it. But once shooting began, I realised it was tougher than I had expected. The role was emotionally heavy. I took nearly two to three weeks after the shoot to completely come out of the character. For 30–35 days, every day involved intense scenes. You imagine the trauma as if it’s happening to you. Eventually, it stays with you. I remember thinking I needed to do something lighthearted immediately after because this role really drained me. It is, without doubt, one of the toughest films of my career, emotionally.”

Was the challenge itself the reason to give the nod to the project? “Absolutely! People often compliment how I look on screen, but I know there’s a performer in me that hasn’t been fully explored yet. This film gave me that scope, as it is performance-driven from start to end. Also, the director was a legendary cinematographer. When someone with that kind of experience wants to cast you, it’s a big deal. Interestingly, the director felt the Tamil version turned out the best and initially wanted a theatrical release. But because the production team was based in Mumbai and didn’t have distribution connections here, they opted for an OTT release. Otherwise, they were keen on a theatre release.”

Parvati tells us that the shoot wasn’t just emotionally demanding; it was physically intense too. “I had some very serious injuries during the shoot. I still have scars on my hands. There was so much blood that an emergency doctor had to be called. The scary part was, I couldn’t even feel the pain initially. Since I was playing a visually impaired character, I couldn’t cheat by looking. I was actually blindfolded during action scenes. At one point, a table broke, and I cut my leg badly; it was intense.”

She adds, “I’m a method actor, and I was completely immersed in the character. Even though we shot in beautiful locations like Dehradun, I didn’t step out, didn’t go sightseeing, and didn’t even take pictures. I didn’t feel like posting on Instagram or enjoying the location because the film was heavy from day one. I stayed in that zone the entire time, which is why it took me a while to come out of the role. So I always look for roles that are different. I don’t like repeating the same kind of characters. Performance scope is extremely important to me. Being part of a big film is great, but as an actor, you need to be seen and heard. You put in effort, you give time, and you should get the opportunity to perform.”

Parvati admits she has learnt this the hard way from past experiences where scenes were cut or performances didn’t make it to the final edit. “That’s disappointing for an actor. But it also teaches you what to prioritise. Every industry and every set is different. Some experiences are smooth; others are challenging. But as long as there is respect, appreciation, and space to perform, it’s fulfilling.”

She recalls moments of appreciation, standing ovations, applause after difficult scenes, and directors expressing how strongly her performance stood out, especially in the Tamil version of this film. “When people appreciate your work, you realise that all the emotional load and hard work were worth it. Challenging roles, new experiences, and characters that allow me to explore something I haven’t done before – that’s what I’m chasing now.”

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