Actor Nivin Pauly opened up about his early ambition to launch a business or startup, an idea he had nurtured since his student days. Speaking at the Kerala Startup Mission’s ‘HackGen AI 2025’ logo and website launch event in Kochi, the actor reflected on his journey and long-held interest in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

"Though I studied engineering, I’m still unsure why I did," Nivin joked, drawing laughter from the audience. "Since my college days, I’ve always wanted to start something of my own—a business or a startup. We had many discussions, but nothing ever took off in a practical sense. Back then, the support systems just weren’t in place."

The actor, who transitioned to cinema after his studies, admitted that his entry into films was more by fortune than design. "Later, I was lucky to enter the film industry, and with work keeping me busy, my startup aspirations took a backseat," he said.

Despite this shift in career, the passion never truly faded. "Every now and then, I’d hear about new startup ideas. I’ve long wanted to support initiatives that help startups flourish. We in the film industry face a lot of challenges, and I’ve often discussed these with others. At one point, we even tried developing AI tools to aid in film production."

Nivin concluded by expressing his continued enthusiasm for supporting innovation, particularly within the creative and tech industries, marking a potential confluence of his twin interests—cinema and entrepreneurship.