Sushmitha Bhat on Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse: 'Playing Nanditha allowed me to explore my spectrum as an artiste' | Exclusive

The mysterious danseuse Nanditha, in Malayalam superstar Mammootty’s latest, Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse, directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon, has caught the attention of audiences. A new face in Malayalam cinema, Nanditha’s character was played by Bengaluru gal Sushmitha Bhat – yet another engineer-turned-actor, but one for whom dance and not acting, was the primary passion. A trained Bharathanatyam dancer, Sushmitha’s early exposure to cinema happened when she and her dance classmates would be sent as background dancers for song shoots.

That, she says, sparked an interest, but the move from the background to the foreground happened only later when she got the opportunity to be a part of the Kannada serial Kavyanjali. From the small screen, Sushmitha made the transition to the big screen with Chow Chow Bath, a hyperlinked film with three parallel tracks, which she followed up with Kaljige and a cameo in last year’s Ibbani Tabbida Ileyali. Her work in Kannada cinema has not been the most noteworthy, so, when the opportunity to audition for Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse presented, she jumped at it.

Also read: Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse review: This investigative thriller is too simple a take from Mammootty-Gautham Menon combo 

“Mammootty Kampany has a very intensive process of okaying a candidate – everyone associated with the project, from the producer, director, writer to the costume designer, etc., should say yes to a character and then they proceed, or at least that’s the impression I got. My profile was suggested by this costume designer called Sameera Saneesh, who has worked on multiple Malayalam projects and follows my work on Instagram. I was then called for an audition and look test, which was then passed on for approvals, including from Mammootty sir. Luckily it got okayed and that’s how I got to play Nanditha,” says Sushmitha.

The audition process seemed easy for the actress, who was given a Malayalam paragraph to perform. “I went in feeling extremely confident, but then Gautham sir took my audition, by doing the scene with me, which made me very nervous. I couldn’t remember a single line, but after many takes and corrections, my audition was okayed. It was then that the role was explained to me and I fell in love with it,” says Sushmitha, adding that the requirement was for someone who knew Bharathanatyam, which worked in her favor.

How Dominic and the Ladies' Purse's Nanditha was designed

In the film, Sushmitha’s character speaks a mix of Malayalam and Tamil, part of which came easily to her, given her half Kannadiga-half Tamilian upbringing. “I didn’t know Malayalam, but then they designed my character accordingly, because of the language issue. Initially, there was a plan to go with only Malayalam lines for me and get a dubbing artiste to chip in, but Mammootty sir wanted my voice to be heard in the film, as he found it to be unique. Hence Nanditha was made a Tamil-speaking Malayali so that audiences don’t find the enunciation issues too jarring,” she explains.

The actress admits that picking up on Malayalam slang was not easy, especially since lines were improvised constantly on set. “No matter how many Malayalam movies you watch, until and unless you start speaking, you will not get how difficult the diction can get. The usage of certain alphabets has multiple variations in Malayalam, unlike, say, Kannada or Tamil. Although most of the film was shot in sync-sound, some of my scenes were corrected in dubbing. But even during dubbing, it was quite difficult and I was eventually given a language coach to train under. Even then, I don’t think I have done a perfect job, but it was much better than how it was on Day 1,” she says.

What’s the feedback been like for the role? “It’s been mixed, if I am being honest, with most of it being about the language bit. Malayalis felt that the lip sync was not right in places or that my pronunciation was off. Some also thought that the ending could have been more impactful. No other complaints about my character, thankfully,” says Sushmitha, adding, “The way I look at it, Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse is a baby step I have made in getting some variety and exploring my spectrum as an actor and that’s what matters most.”

Also read: Gautham Vasudev Menon: Mammootty’s Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse is the fastest film I have made 

Working with Mammootty was not easy, though, as nerves got the better of Sushmitha every now and then, especially since he’d come prepared for every scene and knew even her lines. “I did not want to waste his time, so, I had to spend a lot of time practising to give my best. More than the excitement of working with him, my focus was in trying to pass this exam,” she says and adds, “Mammootty is always at ease and has an expression on his face, even when he’s not in focus and its not his line; ready to react to what is being said. Newcomers like me would not know what to do when someone else is delivering their lines – do you just stand there and do nothing or carry a mundane expression? He knows what’s in the lines of the person with him in the scene, so he is prepared to react to it. That was amazing to watch; it comes as second nature to him, but for me, it was something I had to make mental notes of. “

How aware was Sushmitha of Mammootty’s filmography before working with him? “I’ve watched a lot of movies with my parents, but mostly Tamil, so, my knowledge of his work in Malayalam was limited. It is only in recent years that I’ve been more exposed to his current body of work, like, say, Kannur Squad and Brahmayugam, etc., it’s really mesmerizing,” she says, adding, “Sharing screen space with someone like Mammootty, who still approaches each film with such passion, was an absolute goosebumps moment for me. I am fortunate to have got this role.”