Nivetha Thomas: ‘I can deadlift more than 100 kilos, but I think I need to be fitter’

Nivetha Thomas opens up on trying action, comedy and the Telangana accent for the first time in the Telugu film, ‘Saakini Daakini’

A segment that stood out in the Telugu film Saakini Daakini, which released in theatres last Friday, was a stunt sequence in a restaurant in Hyderabad’s Old City which had Regina Cassandra and Nivetha Thomas take on a bunch of bad guys. Watching herself pull off the action sequence choreographed to show the agility and technique of the female leads, Nivetha is proud. When we catch up for a post-release interview in Hyderabad, she says what is shown in the film is the result of disciplined training that she and Regina had taken up. 

Saakini Daakini is an adaptation of the Korean action-comedy thriller Midnight Runners. “I have not watched any Korean dramas, series or films until the Midnight Runners adaptation was pitched to me. I watched the film for what it is, aware that I was being offered the part played by Park Seo-joon, the physically stronger one of the two. Director Sudheer Varma and the producers were clear that the blows will not be softened in the action sequences just because the adaptation will have two female leads.”

Shalini, played by Nivetha, hails from Telangana, is a kabaddi player, a foodie and a fun-loving character. Comedy, action and the Telangana accent were all new to Nivetha but she was game for the journey, when the film was offered to her about three years ago. “We wanted to bring in some logic to Shalini’s action moves. Since she knows kabaddi, she is smart enough to throw someone down using technique rather than muscle power. Midnight Runners blended in the comedy very well. The leads are fun characters, not just trying to be funny. We took all this into account.”

For the Telangana accent, she took the help of a language coach and says the preparation went beyond merely learning the dialogues: “I wanted to know what someone who speaks in the Telangana accent would say when he/she is bored, irritated or angry. I wanted the words to come naturally. I also got help from Jhansi (who appears in a cameo as Nivetha’s mother) ma’am as well.”

Nivetha learnt jujutsu and kickboxing with the help of Prabhu and Prashant of the Four Pillar Fight Academy, Chennai. A strict diet and workout regimen followed, with changes incorporated each week. “I learnt the body movements that would suit the character of a strong, agile kabaddi player who is now training to be a police officer. In real life, I might stand, sit, walk or run a certain way. I had to correct my posture to be Shalini.”

During the training, she recorded a bunch of action moves that she had learnt and sent them to the director and stunt choreographer Venkat: “It worked like a library from which moves could be picked for the action sequences.”

Nivetha’s regular fitness regimen involves a mix of strength training, yoga, pilates and badminton. Her biggest inspiration is her mother who is a gym regular and enjoys playing badminton. “Everything comes next to fitness for my mom,” Nivetha says with a laugh.