“Now, all I can do is get a red carpet and walk on it. What else can I do now?” jokes actor Azees Nedumangad, one of the lead actors in Payal Kapadia’s film All We Imagine As Light, which won the Grand Prix award, the second-most prestigious award at the Cannes Film Festival.
“People think I deliberately did it. Actually, I am so disappointed that I missed the ticket to Cannes on account of my hectic shooting schedule. Films are my livelihood and I regret I could not take up Payal’s invite,” says Azees.
A familiar face in Malayalam cinema, Azees plays Dr Manoj in the Malayalam-Hindi film along with Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam and Hridhu Haroon. Manoj is new to Mumbai and struggles to communicate as he does not know Hindi and Marathi.Manoj reaches out to Prabha (Kani Kusurti’s character), a nurse in the hospital who has been living in Mumbai for more than a year. Her husband is in Germany. Eventually, Dr Manoj and Prabha become close to one another.
Meanwhile, Prabha’s younger roommate Anu is in a bind as she finds it hard to find a place in the city to spend time with her beau. It is about two women and how they navigate their emotional landscape in the big city. It takes a trip to a small coastal town for them to find themselves.
Malayalam actor Azees Nedumangad | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
“When I was called to audition for the role, I was shooting for Tovino’s (Thomas) Anweshippin Kandethum. I was also working in Thankamani; shooting went on from 6pm to 6am. I told them I would not be able to make it to Mumbai,” he recounts.
Then Azees was sent some of the lines of the character and he was asked to get a video shot. Payal liked what he had sent and followed it up with a Zoom meeting with him, when Kani was also present. There, he was told to read his lines with Kani. Next came a trip to Mumbai, where he met the team and his co-actors. “There was a proper audition at the location and that got me the role. We told our lines and wore our costumes for the audition.”
He told Kani that he would be more comfortable with the director calling ‘action’ instead of auditioning. She assured him that Payal told her that he was doing well.
(from left) Divya Prabha, director Payal Kapadia, Chhaya Kadam and Kani Kusruti pose during a photocall after winning the Grand Prix for the film All We Imagine as Light | Photo Credit: AFP
He adds: “We shot for 15 days for the film and it was a totally new experience for me,” says Azees. Since he is at home in Malayalam, he could only have a conversation with Kani and Divya. “When Kani gets into a character during a shooting, she stays in character. So, I also remained as Dr Manoj. Moreover, we were shooting in sync,” he says laughing.
He adds that while Payal kept appreciating them for their acting, she was a perfectionist who went into the minute details of each scene. “I wondered if I was not doing well when some of my scenes had to be taken 10 to 12 times. I asked Kani if I was not living up to the director’s expectation. She told me that her scenes were also shot multiple times,” he rewinds.
Azees Nedumangad as Ani in Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey’. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Azees has been having a spectacular run after his memorable act as Ani in Vipin Das’ Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey (2022). His role as civil police officer Jose Skaria in Roby Varghese Raj’s crime thriller Kannur Squad won him appreciation from Mammootty, who headlined the film.
Azees Nedumangad (left, sitting) in Kannur Squad | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Azees admits that he craves for characters that gives him a chance to flex his acting chops.
“I have four or five releases this year. At present, I am shooting for a film with Dhyan Sreenivasan, which is being shot by a debutant based in London.” Jeethu Joseph’s Nunakuzhi, Ambiliy S Rengan’s Idi Mazha Kattu and Vipin Das’ Vazha are some of his forthcoming films this year.
How about roles in languages other than Malayalam? “I have offers from Tamil but since I am not fluent in the language, I am not confident about taking it up. But now, I am learning the language,” he says. He hopes to take up interesting roles in different languages that come his way.
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