Bengaluru girl Nithya Menen, who was last seen in ‘Mission Mangal’, makes her OTT debut with the web series ‘Breathe: Into The Shadows’ which will stream on Amazon Prime Video on July 10.
Nithya says that she was always interested in the digital platform as she felt that it would nurture an actor like her. She is cast opposite Abhishek Bachchan, who is also making his debut on OTT. The actors play the parents of a missing girl.
Nithya takes time off ahead of the release to chat with Showtime about her character and what made her choose the script.
How different is OTT from films?
A film would be over in two-hours, but OTT gives you so many hours to explore the character. Films have certain boxes that it sometimes fits actors into, OTT gives actors diverse content.
What drew you to the script?
The minute I heard the script, I had a good feeling about it. It’s a character that I would not have been able to say no to. I liked its complex characterisation and there is a lot for me to do as an actor. My character is way more complex than it appears to be.
What were the challenges for you to fit into the role?
The challenge for me was the situation that I was asked to emote. It was hypothetical and I could not draw emotions from any previous experiences. I think parents who are caught in such a situation would find it hard to get out of it. I wanted my performance to be real and not superficial. I wanted it to have layers and be real. That was hard to portray because the situation was surreal.
What was it like working with Abhishek Bachchan and director Mayank Sharma?
The actors were great and were all so perfectly cast. Mayank and I shared a wonderful rapport. I would understand exactly what he expected of me and would deliver it. He didn’t have to spell it out. I would love to work with him again.
How different is this show from the earlier series ‘Breathe’ with R Madhavan and Amit Sadh?
The only commonality is that they are by the same franchise. This show has a brand new storyline and different actors. You don’t have to watch the previous show to understand this.
You are known to choose your projects carefully. Is that why you took your time to make a debut on an OTT platform?
OTT is just about starting off and is still a new platform. I have always wanted to work with people who know my body of work and know what I am capable of doing. That was also my priority when I did my Hindi project. They had seen my work and had loved it. They were aware of what I had done. So, in that sense, it was not a new space for me.