Acting au natural

By merely looking at this dusky beauty, you might not realize the breath of her accomplishments. Nor would you be likely to espy in her soothing tones the hints of subversion that set her off on her journey in performing arts.

Armed with a degree in Drama and Theatre Arts at Goldsmiths College, University of London, Nimmi Harasgama has proven her acting prowess to film enthusiasts with cinematic ventures like ‘Ira Madiyama’ (August Sun) and ‘Akasa Kusum’ (Flowers in the Sky). She won the Best Actress award at the 2004 Las Palmas International Film Festival in Spain for her portrayal of Chamari, a woman who ventures on a journey desperately looking for her Air Force pilot husband whose plane has been shot down by the Tamil Tigers. Her first Tamil speaking role in ‘I Too Have a Name’ was nominated for the Golden Bear for ‘Best Short’ at the Berlin International Film Festival in Germany. ‘Akasa Kusum’ was the Academy Award Best Foreign Language Film submission from Sri Lanka for 2010. Nimmi also acted opposite Geraldine Chaplin in the film ‘Mother Teresa: In the Name of God’s Poor’.

Though she does not make frequent appearances on screen, when she does, it does not go unnoticed. Her latest achievement is being nominated for Britain’s 2021 National TV Awards. She was nominated for Best Drama Performance for playing Nurse Mari in ‘The Good Karma Hospital’.

“It is a wonderful feeling to be recognised by the National Television Awards in the UK. It feels like all the hard work, sweat and grit has been worth it. It is such an honour to be part of a list that includes actors like Olivia Colemam, Gillian Anderson and Hugh Laurie, just to name a few,” Nimmi opened up the conversation on how ‘The Good Karma Hospital’ brought fortune her way.

The National Television Awards (NTAs) in the UK is scheduled to be held on September 9 this year. Dubbed as ‘television’s biggest night of the year’, the NTAs is the most prominent ceremony in which the results are chosen through public voting.

“I have definitely gained and learned a lot. I have made some wonderful friends, both actors and crew. It is great to be part of a show that is so popular in the UK. It has opened so many doors for me that I previously deemed impenetrable,” enthused Nimmi.

She says she took on the project especially because it was such a good opportunity. She was given no room to say ‘no’. It also meant that she could finally move back to Sri Lanka.

In ‘Hello Darlin’

“It is always a privilege to play the role of a nurse. Regardless of the current global context, frontline workers go above and beyond their call of duty . In the show Mari is the epitome of exactly that. She has her ups and downs, but when it comes to her job she is one hundred percent committed. Right now I can’t even imagine what our frontline workers and frontline workers around the world must be going through. They need our support and must be recognised for working around the clock and putting their own lives on the line, every day,” Nimmi said.

Another feather on her cap was being among the cast in Deepa Mehta’s ‘Funny Boy’. Nimmi played Nalini’s role in the Oscar-worthy production. Adapted from Shyam Selvadurai’s book of the same name, ‘Funny Boy’ sees the coming of age of a young Tamil boy named Arjie Chelvaratnam.

“ Selvadurai suggested that I would work well for the role of Amma, after he saw my performance in ‘Ira Madiyama’. While I filmed series 2 of ‘Good Karma’. I auditioned for this role. Then Deepa came to Sri Lanka. We met and she offered me the role. I read the book when it first came out and instantly dreamt of being in the film. The book is very cinematic and that’s why I was convinced it would be made into a film one day. It explores an issue that is close to many of us in Sri Lanka and to the diaspora abroad. I felt a sense of responsibility to play the role of ‘Amma’. My family and I were in Sri Lanka during the 83 riots and we experienced it first hand. I always believe that it is important not to forget these moments in history and to do our level best to ensure that they are not repeated. I feel this is an extremely important film both for the perspective it provides on ethnic issues and being gay in a country that still criminalises it,” she unfurled her thoughts.

She noted that the most challenging part of playing her character was finding her truth.

“There are so many layers to us as humans. We are and cannot simply be just one thing or another. I spent time discovering and appreciating the layers of Nalini’s character - to question why she is who she is. It was challenging because her world is so different to mine. I looked to my mother who has experienced so much of what Nalini had and I was greatly influenced by how Amma carries herself and behaves and so forth,” she pointed out.

Voicing her opinion on working under Deepa Mehta Nimmi states that all directors have their own way of working.

In ‘Funny Boy’

“There is not one standard method, obviously. So I have experienced and learnt greatly from everyone I have worked with. Working with Mehta was exceptional and I learnt a lot from her as a director and through her rehearsal process, which is based on firm belief that the roots of theatre are the essence of any performance. I love that, because my roots are and will always be very firmly entrenched in theatre.”

She says that the scene between Nalini and Chelva after he has left Jegan in the police station is the favourite scene she portrayed in the whole project.

“Initially there was dialogue in that scene, but on the day we shot it, and I love this about Deepa, she changed things up and we ended up improvising on the spot. It makes the process dynamic and thrilling for an actor. She decided that this scene should have no dialogue and that we should not even get to a point where we touch. It is an extremely intense and emotional scene, and as actors we had to find that moment in silence. My favourite scene of the whole film is when Arjie and Shehan are dancing in their underwear in that big hall at Shehan’s house. It makes me cry and smile every time I see it,” she mused with a smile.

Reflecting on acting in the Netflix series ‘Requiem’ and ‘Hello Darlin’ Nimmi notes that every project she does is an education in itself.

As Nurse Mari in ‘The Good Karma Hospital’

“I am always learning about the craft of acting, from watching older and younger actors, directors and even when conducting and curating drama workshops for children. ‘Requiem’ was a pleasure to work on, as was ‘Hello Darlin’. In ‘Requiem’ the director, the DOP and a lot of the crew were all women and that is something that is not common in this industry and I think we all loved it. ‘Hello Darlin’ was a low budget independent film and a lot of the people involved with the production were doing it for the love of the craft. I had fun on both sets,” she said.

Queried if she would have done anything different if she got the opportunity to change it and Nimmi adds that in hindsight when she left university, perhaps she should have stayed on in London and started auditioning. Instead she came back to Sri Lanka and worked for Young Asia Television as a producer, writer and presenter.

“However, I can’t say that I regret that decision. I would never have had the chance to embark on the rollercoaster journey that I am currently navigating. That is basically my life as it is. In the end for me following my dreams has not been about making steadfast plans but is rather going with the flow.”

“I think there are some hugely talented artists and filmmakers in the local industry, but I believe that there needs to be much more funding channeled into the arts. I would love to do a local project,” she revealed adding that she has not seen many films of late owing to COVID-19.

She has concentrated on working on TV scripts and screenplays during the pandemic.

“Thankfully, during the lockdown I was able to work as a writer. But as an actor it has been tough,” she admitted adding that she is the co-writer of an animated TV series and also of a screenplay for a British Indian co-production.