Lady Superstar Nayanthara recently shared one of the most challenging experiences from her early acting career while working on veteran director Fazil’s Malayalam film 'Vismayathumbathu', which featured Mohanlal in the lead role.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, she talked about an incident with Fazil and Mohanlal that shaped her into the actor she is today.

Recalling her struggles during the shoot, Nayanthara revealed how her lack of familiarity with Malayalam cinema and its language posed significant hurdles. She explained how Fazil, known for his perfectionist approach, grew frustrated with her inability to deliver a scene to his expectations.

“Fazil sir got really upset and said, ‘I can’t take it. You’re not understanding how the character has to evolve from within.’ But the problem is every time I have to say a dialogue, I don't think in Malayalam. So it was difficult for me as the cinema language is different from the normal language that we speak,” she recounted.

The situation became more tense as Mohanlal, her co-star, tried to guide her through the process. “He kept telling me, ‘You have to emote from within. The expression and emotion have to come from within.’ He kept on saying that and I got so annoyed and I said, ‘Sir, I don't even know what I'm even doing. You are giving me so many instructions and I can't remember all of it. I don't have anything inside me, there is only fear inside,’ then he was like you take a break and the you come back,” she said.

Fazil eventually walked away in frustration, leaving the set to sit alone in a corner. Hours later, he returned with a different approach. “He said, ‘I really trust you, and I’m going to trust you again. I want a rock-solid performance. I can’t be a failure.’”

Moved by his faith, Nayanthara decided to give it her all. “I thought, I’m going to work hard and make sure Fazil sir is happy. Whether or not I gave a great performance, the next day, he hugged me and said, ‘You have it in you to become someone big in life.’ That moment changed everything for me.”

Speaking about how she has evolved, she said, “I think I've evolved with a lot of hard work. In the beginning, I had no idea of what I was doing and I was put in front of all these giants. Just imagine doing a scene on your first day of ‘Chandramukhi’ with Rajinikanth and I think what helped me a lot was the fact that I really didn’t know how big Rajini sir was. Whether it was Mohanlal, Mammootty or Rajinikanth, the ignorance of knowing how big they were has helped me go with the flow, and I wasn't scared.”

In the same interview, Nayanthara also briefly addressed her open letter to Dhanush over the unauthorized use of a clip from ‘Naanum Rowdy Dhaan’ in her Netflix documentary, ‘Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairy Tale.’ Dismissing claims of a publicity stunt, she said, “Courage only comes from the truth. I only have to be scared when I'm fabricating something. If I'm not doing that, I don't have to be scared.”

She clarified that the footage in question was a behind-the-scenes shot not covered under contractual agreements at the time. Nayanthara emphasized that her intention was never to tarnish anyone’s reputation but to resolve the misunderstanding amicably.