12 years and 100 plus auditions. Nitin Thomas finally reaches Aaha

The movie 'Aaha', which came to the theaters with the theme of 'Tug of War', had a great response from the audience. Actor Nitin Thomas plays a pivotal role in the film. He made his debut in Little Master which was released in 2015. Later in 2017, he was cast in Nisabdham which was his Tamil debut. Meanwhile, he was trying hard to get the role of Paakan Biju fulfilled in the movie Aaha, which was directed by Bibin Paul Samuel.

Change is inevitable

After the theater release of Aaha, the changes that followed in Nitin's personal life and acting career were substantial. The success of the movie was a treat by itself which brought Nitin one step closer to his goals. Aaha also happens to be the first big-budget movie with a massive star lineup, which Nitin has signed recently. The movie is quite close to his heart because of the impact it had on his career and due to the level of acceptance, he acquired among the regional audience. Sharing screen space with seasoned legends like Manoj K Jayan and Indrajit Sukumaran was a blessing by itself.

The Hardships

Being a complete outsider to the industry, things didn't magically happen for Nitin. The varied hurdles he had to face have tested his commitment and passion towards the art form to its limits. Existing within the industry and sustaining personal life for such a long period without any expectations, was the hardest part for Nitin. He believes patience and persistence are key to reaching any goal in life.

Aaha the experience

For Nitin, the movie set never felt like a workplace. Both Manoj K Jayan and Indrajith Sukumaran, being two of the most experienced actors in the industry, made sure that they treat him like one of their own.

Making the movie set lively and a happy place to work in was a priority for them. During takes, they made sure to provide valuable suggestions and tips which has positively impacted the outcome. This led to a sense of confidence in Nitin which is well reflected in the movie. Being part of Aaha and working with such versatile actors will remain an asset throughout his career.

As per Nitin, Indrajith Sukumaran, Aswin Kumar, and all actors who were part of the movie had to learn tug of war in order to make the shots as realistic as possible. The immense training the whole team went through for a time span of 2 months can quite evidently be seen in the way they have handled the sport. None of the scenes were manipulated in any way to show the tug of war in action. All scenes were captured with professional players and actors competing against each other which added to the realism.

Nitin now truly believes that tug of war is not just like any other sport. It is literally war as the name suggests. You have to be both mentally and physically capable to be able to pull the rope. The amount of pressure that builds in such a game is unprecedented. The movie was shot approximately 2 years ago. To date, he carries a scar on his back which was caused during the whole movie-making process. He proudly calls it the Aaha Signature''.

Nitin's character Paakan Biju also happens to be a driver in the movie. His 4x4 is what the team prefers to travel in, whenever they are going for a match. In one of the scenes, he was supposedly assigned the task where he has to drive the vehicle up the mountain slope with all the team members including Manoj K Jayan, Indrajith Sukumaran, and Aswin Kumar being in it. This was a massive responsibility as there were a lot of risk elements attached. After the trial run Nitin had asked Indrajith Sukumaran casually whether he feels confident about going ahead with this scene. Indrajith was quite happy and convinced that Nitin will be able to do it. This was all that he needed. The added energy due to the confidence shown in him helped complete the scene with ease and created an epic moment in the movie

Expectations

Paakan Biju will always be a milestone in Nitin's career. The way the audience approached the movie and how this character left a lasting impression on them was one of his prime achievements. A reference as such in his portfolio could pave the way into better character roles in the future and help Nitin set a stronghold in the Film Industry.

Dulquer Salman's Salute

Sharing screen space with Dulquer in Salute the movie was a wonderful experience for Nitin. Having a combination scene with DQ and being chosen to be part of a Roshan Andrews movie under the Wayfarer FIlms banner can be considered a good platform, as it could lead to future prospective projects. Having a lasting impression is an important factor as it facilitates a secure and brighter future. He believes that being part of such a big-budget movie will help with outreach across the industry.

The Progression

Like every actor in the industry even Nitin wants to secure a central character. Every step he takes is focused on this goal. Committing to roles that can portray a character effectively and explore different possibilities in this art form will be a prime criterion for him, in the years to come. As per Nitin, being a good actor means being able to adapt to any role that comes your way.

Minnal Murali

Nitin feels that the movie is one of the best in class superhero movies that have come out from the Indian Film Industry recently. The team has managed to create the existence of this more than convincing superhero and an even better villain which is a total out-of-the-world experience for the Indian audience. The character namely Shibu, which Guru Somasundaram played is well adored by Nitin and he would love to play any similar roles shortly.

Superstars

Nitin says he is an avid Mohanlal fan, to begin with. The more he got into this profession the more he realized that actors like Mammoty and their prowess are unparalleled. He understood that there is not a single actor in the Malayalam movie industry who can play different character roles with different varied accents ranging from Kazarkode to Trivandrum. For example, Mammokka's character, in Unda which is Mani Sir shows how to transform completely into a character.

According to Nitin, all actors that he has ever come across play an important role in molding a budding actor like him. All those characters they have ever played, have in one way or the other inspired the characters, Nitin is playing today.

The Influence

There are a lot of films that have inspired Nitin. He likes to repeatedly watch the scenes of some of his favorite movies played mostly by Mammotty and Mohanlal. Actors like Rajnikanth still amaze him with the level of energy he brings onto the set. Considering his age as a factor, just the thought that he still treats cinema the way he treated it 47 years ago is the most amusing part. Nitin stresses how Mammokka is an epic example when it comes to committing, managing a lifestyle, and having that discipline to consistently perform well throughout all these years. It is still something the world watches with pure amazement.

The Journey

Nitin has been consistently attending auditions for the past 12 years. He has covered Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Maharashtra for over 100 auditions. Every audition that he has attended has made him more confident about what he wants to become in life. He thinks that aspiring actors should remain persistent and never let their convictions fade off due to external factors. If the belief system and passion are strong enough, learning acting and improving confidence over time helps in delivering a scene better.

Nitin urges aspiring actors to believe in the fact that there is always light at the end of the tunnel and never to falter in this journey towards it.

New Projects

Nitin's latest project after Aaha the movie is Salute where Dulquer Salman is playing the protagonist, which is directed by Roshan Andrews. He is also part of Director Shajahan's debut movie, Jameelante Poovankozhi. He will be portraying the character Ali in the movie, which has quite an important and suspenseful aspect to the role due to which Nitin is quite hopeful that this character will leave a noticeable impact.

He is also progressing with discussions on some new projects with a few Directors in the industry.