Aanandam's Kuppi tells us why he went from NIT Surathkal to cinema

The story of 25-year-old actor Vishak Nair is about focussing on what you really want to do in life and staying composed when life happens. His love for the art of cinema began about a decade ago while he was still at school, even before the short film frenzy hit. He and his friends borrowed his father’s camera and shot a short film, not to publish on YouTube or submit to film festivals, but just because they wanted to do it. He was only 15 years old when he wrote and directed his first short film, and he later went on to make four more. 

You never know when an opportunity will come along, so the only thing you can do is never lose focus and never stop preparing for it 

Vishak Nair, Actor

Vishak widened his interests to acting during his engineering days at NIT-Surathkal, where he and his friends set up a theatre club and performed plays for charity. But the actor that we know and love today came into the limelight only a year ago, when he played the role of Kuppi in Aanandam. “If you were acting in your first film with an experienced crew, I think that the scope for learning would have been restricted, as they would see you as just an actor. But it was different with Aanandam. We were with the crew right from pre-production till post-production and more importantly, our views were also considered throughout the process,” says Vishak, who admits that he still hears fans calling out ‘Kuppi... Kuppi...’ as he walks about.

Acting was not always the plan for Vishak though. He had just quit his job at the MNC that he was working at for a year and was planning to pursue an MBA in Film Production when the auditions for Aanandam were underway. “After getting through the auditions I was confused whether to continue with my plan and pursue the MBA or take up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that was presented before me,” he recalls. But five films later, three of which are due to release soon, Vishak couldn’t have been more pleased with his decision.

Happy crew: Vishak Nair with the Aanandam cast

But being an actor is not only about the fame and fun, warns Vishak, “People romanticise the profession; even I thought it would entail freedom, leisure work and things like that. But over the years I’ve learnt that it’s not that simple. On some days, the hours are long and there are no holidays or sick leave.” But irrespective, he admits that he enjoys every bit of it and wouldn’t change a thing.