Nisha Ravikrishnan’s Anshu marks her silver screen debut

Actor Nisha Ravikrishnan, who hails from Kerala, not only speaks impeccable Kannada, but also stumps you when she gives this interview in the same language! Nisha, better known as Amulya, from a long-running Kannada serial, Gattimela, shot to fame with this role and today she is affectionately referred to as ‘Ammu’ by Gattimela fans.

Nisha, who played a restless and naive Ammu in Gattimela, now portrays a serious housewife in Anshu. “Since I hardly had any time to prepare for my role in Anshu, we had a short workshop, where the team worked together on the major scenes of the film, and decided on the emotions and the intensity of the character.”

“For four years I played a hyperactive girl in Gattimela to such an extent that subconsciously I felt I too was a bright and chirpy girl. Hence, Anshu came as a challenge. Amidst the shooting of Gattimela, I would also read the Anshu script concurrently and work on this character, which is more mature, to see how differently I could play this role.”

Choosing a career in acting came as no surprise to Nisha, who “was more inclined towards cultural activities rather than studies since I was a child. After school, if I was not learning Bharatanatyam, I would be learning Carnatic music. But, I had my heart set on acting, though I did complete my B. Com.”

The actor, born and brought up in Bengaluru, says, “Once I started acting, I knew that this was what I want to pursue as my career too,” says Nisha, who has been a part of Gattimela from 2019 to 2024.

“When the series started I was thrilled; Gattimela made me famous and gave me the courage to dream bigger. Hence, I will never forget Gattimela, its director Yatish NMS Gowda or my co-stars. We worked together for four-and-a half years and bonded as a family and it will always hold a special place in my heart. It was Gattimela that also paved the way for my foray into Ammayi Garu, a Telugu serial.”

Nisha says she draws inspirations from Kannada actor Parvathi Menon (Milana fame) and the Malayalam actor Nithya Menon, who “emote with just their eyes. That is what I have tried to emulate in Anshu. I know I still have a long way to go to even be where these actors are, but this is my attempt at it,” states Nisha.

Anshu draws your attention with its intense poster, which itself screams in every angle that the film will be an intense woman-oriented one. If you thought seeing a blindfolded Nisha with blood trickling from one of her nostrils in the poster gives you the chills, then the trailer, with the actor wielding a knife in her blood-soaked hands and wearing a murderous, cold look, makes you wonder if it is a revenge story.

Nisha, without revealing anything about the movie, says she is “thrilled to make her debut with a power-packed film such as Anshu. I always dreamt of portraying a character such as this as it is a story about a determined woman. The film too, has a strong message.”

“When director Channakeshava approached me with Anshu, I jumped at it as it is a complete experimental film. I can also say that though there are quite a few characters, I play a dominant throughout the film,” says the actor amidst her shoot for Ammayi Garu, where she plays the role of Apuroopa.

Anshu too, says Nisha, is not all just about gore and grime, but “is a story that says we can cross any hurdle despite the circumstances we are trapped in, which makes it an inspiring tale.”

Having played a powerful lead in a woman-centric serial as Gattimela and now making her cinematic debut, also along similar lines, Nisha says, is a dream come true. “I have nothing to complain about. Yet, I am jittery about Anshu, nervous if the audience will accept me.”

“While acting in a TV serial, your character becomes a part of the household that watches you everyday. But, in cinema, we have just a set number of hours to achieve the same goal. Hence, though I am eager about my debut with Anshu, I am also nervous.” reveals Nisha, who started her small screen career with the series Sarva Mangala Managalye where she played the supporting character to the lead.

Anshu, directed by Channakeshava MC, with music by KC Balasarangan, released on November 21 under the banner, Grahana Llp.