Naveen Nazim: I am a travel junkie, just like my character in Ambili

Naveen Nazim has been a constant presence in his elder sister Nazriya’s social media photos.

The youngster, like many in his family, is now all set to make his foray into M-Town with Guppy director Johnpaul George’s Ambili, which is a road movie.
Naveen, who is doing his internship in Bengaluru after finishing his architecture course, is gearing up to shoot his debut film around July this year. “I said yes to the movie as it has a great theme and I could completely relate to the person I am to play. He is a travel junkie and so am I. As of now, I am in the process of getting into his look and am growing beard for the same,” he says.

Naveen says the director reached out to him through the film’s hero, Soubin Shahir. “I have known Soubin ikka for long and he told me about this film and character, asking whether I can take it up. At first, I was confused and asked for some time to think. Finally, I decided to give it a try,” Naveen says.
The debutant says the decision to act was completely his, and once he made up his mind, he spoke to his family. “When I told them about it, they were very supportive,” recalls Naveen.

The film’s director Johnpaul says he has been on the lookout for someone like Naveen for a long time. “I saw him first many years ago, when he was a chubby kid. I didn’t know he was Nazriya’s brother back then. Years later, I happened to watch the video of Nazriya’s and Naveen’s birthday celebration, on the sets of the film Trance. That’s when it struck me that he would be apt to play the role I had in mind,” says the filmmaker.

John says Naveen’s sharp features and youthful style impressed him. “He is further changing into the look of the freaky traveller, currently. The character is of equal importance to film’s protagonist Ambili, played by Soubin.”

The movie’s heroine is yet another newbie named Tanvi Ram, a bank employee based in Bengaluru. “She has a background in modelling and is basically from Kannur. She will be playing Soubin’s pair,” he says.