Fractured leg, broken heart: The inspiring story of how Nivin Pauly risked everything for his first audition

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One of the most beloved actors of his generation, Nivin Pauly began his cinematic journey playing one of the five central characters in actor-playback singer Vineeth Sreenivasan’s directorial debut Malarvaadi Arts Club (2010). The movie also marked the on-screen debut of actors Aju Varghese, Bhagath Manuel, and Harikrishnan. With the movie’s massive success, Nivin also gained fame. Although he couldn’t capitalise on it right away, his efforts slowly yielded positive results, and he eventually became a force to be reckoned with.

But did you know that Nivin clinched his debut role at the last moment, by the skin of his teeth? In fact, he wasn’t even shortlisted for Malarvaadi Arts Club’s audition despite applying. Yet he still showed up, and with a fractured leg on top of that, driven by his insatiable desire to break into show business.

Nivin Pauly with his Malarvaadi Arts Club co-stars Aju Varghese, Bhagath Manuel, Harikrishnan, and Geevarghese Eappen. (Credit: Instagram/@nivin_pauly_world)

‘A cinema aspirant with a plastered leg appearing out of thin air’

“Initially, I wasn’t among those shortlisted for the audition. At that time, I used to read Vineeth Sreenivasan’s blog regularly. Once, he wrote: ‘Out of the four people I envisioned for the roles, one is yet to be found.’ He had included a brief sketch of the character in that post. I immediately sent the remaining two photos I had. I was at rest during that period after falling and breaking my leg. But my heart insisted that I must attend the audition somehow,” he shared during a 2020 conversation with Manorama Online.

With the help of his friend Maju and his cousin Dheeraj, he reached the venue. “They literally carried me to the audition hall on the third floor. That was how Vineeth first saw me — a cinema aspirant with a plastered leg appearing out of thin air,” Nivin quipped.

Nivin Pauly, along with Malarvaadi Arts Club’s director Vineeth Sreenivasan, his co-stars, and others. (Credit: Instagram/@iamharikrishnans)

Nivin Pauly’s father left without knowing his son’s acting aspirations

At that time, he was also battling the grief of losing his father. Nivin Pauly mentioned that his father passed away before he could even share his acting aspirations with him. “My father passed away while I was working at Infosys in Bengaluru. I hadn’t told him about my dreams of entering cinema. Perhaps if I had told him then, he would have supported me. My father was someone who, in his youth, took great interest in pursuing things he loved. That was how he developed a passion for the camera,” he added.

Even after the massive success of Malarvaadi Arts Club, Nivin’s mother wasn’t happy with the path her son had chosen and wished he would pursue a job that offered greater stability in life. Interestingly, she even urged him to try for bank jobs for some more time before coming to terms with his career choice.

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“My mother wasn’t very supportive in the beginning. It was natural for her to feel that cinema wasn’t a secure profession, especially since our family had no connection with the industry whatsoever. She belonged to the school of thought that one should find a stable job, earn a salary, and avoid risks. Even when my first movie became a hit, I didn’t see much happiness in her. Even after that success, she would still tell me that I should try for a bank job,” the actor added.

Also starring Balachandra Menon, Sharaf U Dheen, Neethu Krishna, Vishnu Agasthya, Harisree Ashokan, Ann Augustine, and Maniyanpilla Raju in key roles, Prathichaya will hit the screens on Thursday, March 26. The movie features cinematography by Chandru Selvaraj, music by Justin Varghese, and editing by Manoj.