Srivathsan Nadadhur
Gouri Kishan has just turned 21 and it has been a couple of months since she turned a graduate. The socially conscious young actor surprised many with the depth she brought to her poignant performances across her appearances as the teenager Janaki in 96 and its Telugu remake Jaanu (playing the younger versions of Trisha and Samantha) and is utilising this time to relook at her priorities. She’s getting back to her first love (dancing), has just wrapped shooting indoors for a musical short film titled Mariayadha Kanner Illai, while helping her mom in the kitchen and catching up on all the books she couldn’t make time for in the recent years.
The ever-curious Gouri doesn’t mince words on social issues and also remains wary of how she vocalises her thoughts in public. With an exciting lineup of films in Tamil including Master (starring Vijay, Vijay Sethupathi in lead roles), Karnan (alongside Dhanush) and a Malayalam film where she plays the lead role, Gouri is looking to cement her position across multiple industries. Klapboardpost.com brings to you the journey of this promising talent.
Being a jack of all trades as a child and finding her voice later
I hail from a Malayali family and have spent a major part of my life in Chennai. As a child, I was more of an ambivert and switched between extremes as per the situation. All through school, I remember being responsible for leadership duties and have also been a cultural secretary, given my foregrounding in classical dance and also for the fact that I was a regular participant at most cultural performances for annual days and several other school functions. I was drawn towards art and learnt music, dance formally.
I belong to a family that has an intrinsic connection with music – my dad and grandma are wonderful singers. However, I hold dance closer to my heart. Like Jaanu in 96, I went to school wearing two plaits and remember not liking it. I had arguments with the teachers if one ponytail was enough. But that rettai jadai-look (two plaits) in the film took many back to their school days. The school that I studied in, wasn’t certainly as conservative as the one that my character did.
I was active in sports and wanted to be a jack of all trades; it was an age where I had many passions and I couldn’t narrow myself to one area of interest. I was ambitious and knew that the world had so much to offer and my eyes were always open to newer experiences. Additionally, I was (and am) an avid reader, enjoyed several aspects surrounding literature and I cherished the idea of a book or a novel transporting me to a different space or time-zone.
As I approached my teenage years, I had begun feeling deeply about several aspects concerning the society. Watching Satyameva Jayate was a fond memory and an important part of my weekend routine; it was an awakening of sorts that shaped my interest to voice out thoughts, reach out to the needy, made me an aware citizen and opened me to issues in the world that merited attention. Journalism seemed the ideal path for me. A triple major in psychology, journalism and literature was just what the doctor ordered and I couldn’t have been happier. It left me an option to delve deeper into either of the three domains for the future.
Always had a soft spot for movies
I was always into movies. A Saturday at the cinemas was a ritual, it was like a visit to the holy abode. I thank my parents for exposing me to movies of multiple languages including Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil and English. It was a very useful medium to be aware of our cultural roots and I genuinely appreciated our traditions being represented on the big screen. My dance exposure helped me express myself in various ways and I used to do my own version of Koffee with Karan with my friends.
I knew what it took for someone to enter the film industry and make it big. So many struggling actors, who’re passionate, sacrifice years just to be seen and get attention from people. Acting didn’t begin as a serious pursuit and I always thought that I would end up making a career around humanities, history and something that’s culturally oriented. Having said that, my parents encouraged me to give a try when they heard about the auditions for 96, regardless of the result. I went into the audition without any expectations and that’s the day I realised the actor within me and didn’t recognise all along. Though I was comfortable on the stage throughout my childhood, I never knew if I had acting abilities.
The 96 experience
96 was a five-round audition and an elaborate process; the director wanted someone who wouldn’t act but react. When I got the callback, I was genuinely surprised and excited about how the entire experience would pan out. I never thought it would get the acceptance it ended up getting. The response was humungous and I didn’t see it coming. For someone who was academically oriented till then, it was a bolt out of the blues. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and my debut became my big break in the industry. I later went onto do Jaanu, one Malayalam film as a lead and two Tamil films – Master and Karnan. I may have become an actor by accident, but I value all my opportunities.
Handling fame back in her college
After 96, I earned way more attention than what I got otherwise in college. Movies are an integral part of our culture and the love that people shower on something that captures their imagination is raw. We celebrate our movies and I definitely felt that impact my character had created on people. People came to me saying that, upon watching 96, their first crush had called them after almost 5-6 years. It’s a mini-celebrity like feeling because I was very new to this kind of attention. It was an eye-opener and the feeling of being accepted to this extent was something else.
I need to say, despite enjoying that bit of fame, I was grounded and never had my head up in the clouds. My parents brought me up teaching the realities of the world and I continued to be as common as anybody else. The college faculty and my friends remained extremely supportive in helping me juggle between my academic schedule and film shoots. College wasn’t anything easy because I was an actor who had a popular film; it genuinely uplifted the entire experience.
Of her belief and liking for romance (in reference to 96 and Jaanu)
I feel that romance is one of the most pleasant experiences one could ever have. I am a complete romantic by heart and truly believe in that intensity of love because of whatever little I have experienced it during my school years (though it may not be of any match to the bond that Ram and Jaanu had shared in 96). First loves are special because of your mind space – you’re very innocent, the feelings are pure. I wholeheartedly believe in that tender romance. Ram and Jaanu’s love in the film, when I heard it for the first time and saw it unfold in front of my eyes, felt like poetry in motion. Certain events in the film may seem dramatic but that’s what first loves are all about, it makes you do crazy things. There is no rationale to it and you have butterflies in your stomach. I am also glad I could portray a character, who, beyond her love for Ram, was tender, practical and intelligent.
Bettering herself with Jaanu and growing from 96
With 96, what worked was the fact that I was just reacting like any other 14-year-old, but I can’t downplay the observation that there was room for improvement. Most of my portions (in both Jaanu and 96) included songs, montage shots and were very poetically conceived. There was no pressure to recreate the 96 magic with the Telugu version and language was never a barrier. I certainly matured as an actor over the two years between 96 and Jaanu. I understood the element of emotion that a sequence required and could sense if I was going overboard. My movie-watching experiences became drastically different after I became an actor and I began learning from them, which is a reason why a few feel my performance in Jaanu was more effective than 96. I had a few friends telling me that the sad sequences I had enacted in Jaanu was more impactful.
The joy of performing in her mother tongue
As a Malayali, I’ve had the most exposure to Malayalam cinema and am a big fan of the films that get made in the industry. Naturally, I was really familiar with the actors, the names involved across projects. I was very excited but the role came with the burden of being a heroine, it was a step up from being recognised as this young girl who was part of 96. I guess I adapted to the challenge well and I play an interesting, realistic small-town character. It was very good to think from the shoes of a rural Kerala girl.
It felt like a vacation, going to Kerala, talking to people in my mother tongue; the comfort level was totally different. Malayalam industry felt closer to home, while Telugu industry was equally accepting. All the industries are different in their ways and it’s good to be a part of all of them. I was also approached to reprise my role in the Kannada version of 96, but my dates didn’t work out and even I was sceptical about working with a different director.
On-set learning during the Vijay-starrer Master and Dhanush’s Karnan
In terms of sheer scale, shooting for these films were magnanimous. A film like Master has so many artistes and the crew is manifold higher than any other movie I had worked before. It was a learning curve for the way it taught me people skills. You get exposed to so many artistes and their work. Engaging with people opened me to so many backstories – there were YouTube stars, reality show participants and the Master team was an amalgamation of diverse talent.
Working with a star like Vijay was a dream come true; we had shot extensively in Delhi, Shimoga, I have an important character in Master and it’s an experience that’s very close to my heart for my experiences during the making. Lokesh, the director, was young, had a tight-knit army of 16 ADs, who were meticulous with their planning. For a big starrer film, we had completed the shooting in a record number of days. It taught me how a big movie comes together and how unity within a team plays a huge part in it. Even if you’re a good individual at heart, it requires a team effort to put something together and that has been my biggest lesson.
With Karnan, we’re yet to complete the shoot, but I’ve so much to share about the experiences. It’s another rural character, shot mostly in Tirunelveli and I had to learn the slang and skills any person from a small town would have. It transported me to a territory that’s so different my upbringing in a city. It was an unlearning experience. Every day as I wake up, I thank my stars to have worked with such great talents at a young age. People say such experiences shape you as a person and I’m grasping whatever I can.
Being the inquisitive girl on the set
I am someone who’s always full of questions and this goes a lot beyond the discussions I have with the director and co-actors. I interact with every person on the set, with the lightmen, spot boys, cameraman and I’m very curious to know about the craft which I’ve no idea about. The number of people who work for one film is humongous and I never knew it involved the sweat and toil from so many. It’s easy to watch a three-hour-film, have an opinion and go back home but knowing the work that goes behind it was mind-blowing. There’s a long way to go, I’m all ears and my eyes are always open. I’m lucky that my job involves going in front of the camera and the other side of the process reminds me that I have a lot to learn.
Career priorities and stance on social issues
Right now, I am looking into films more seriously than anything else. I’d love to pursue journalism for higher studies but the plans aren’t concrete now. I wouldn’t want to compromise on my academic ambitions certainly. I am constantly reading and updating myself but being an actor also means a responsibility to discuss issues that I deeply care about. I am sensitising myself to issues that matter to me and drawing the line, to what extent can I be vocal about it.
I am not trying to be diplomatic but certain people look upto you and you need to be responsible about it. Many times, I am drained to see the number of issues that affect people and feel bad that I could raise my voice only for a few of them. People in public light need to choose two or three domains that they feel strongly about and equip themselves with enough knowledge about them before they can confidently talk about it. I am trying to introspect where my concerns lie.
Lockdown learnings
The lockdown has been a breather after all the activity surrounding films and college in the last few months. Getting used to this situation took time, realising that there needs to be food cooked in the house and that I could help my mother with that. It made me look back at my roots and it has been an enriching experience. Being able to spend so much time with family is something I’ve missed while working on my movies. I have been getting back to classical dance after many years and this is a good time to refresh my basics.
I have just finished working on a musical short film that’s shot entirely indoors and I’m adapting myself to the new norm. I have taken up yoga and am reading more than ever before. I am being very selective about the movies I watch, but it’s good to watch diverse content that could probably even offer me a reference point to play my characters in the future. I may be anxious about entering a set after the pandemic ends, but we, humans, underestimate our ability to handle a crisis. Everything happens for a reason and one must be instinctive and do what they do best.
