Nanncy Gill on 45 Days in Manali, UK Theatre and Skipping Fame
Nanncy Gill explains why she chose an MA in the UK over cashing in on Udta Teer fame, and how action training and theatre shape her next move.
Most actors would tell their agent to keep the calls coming after a star-led action film. Nanncy Gill did the opposite. Fresh from playing CTS agent Sharon in Ayushmann Khurrana’s Udta Teer, she packed her bags for Cardiff, Wales, where she is now working through an MA in screen and stage at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
“After getting attention in a successful film, the obvious thing is to cash in on the moment and look for opportunities in India, which I am getting, but I have a bigger picture in mind,” she told Hindustan Times. “I first want to complete my course and improve my craft and come with full force besides exploring opportunities here.”
A deliberate pause, not an exit
Her logic is craft-first. Gill wants to be an actor, writer and theatre director, not just a screen performer. Before this, she had already directed House Arrest and Mandi House, and she points to that theatre work as the confidence behind the international move.
She has not put India on hold. Offers are still coming, but completing the course comes first. Expanding her artistic choices, she says, matters more than grabbing the short burst of visibility that follows a hit.
The skills she stacked for Udta Teer
Her selection for the film came through an unusual route. In Dubai, she got a call asking for fitness and action footage, so she sent clips from her gym work, kalaripayattu, boxing and MMA. Only later did she learn what project it was for.
Then came 45 days in Manali with Ayushmann Khurrana and Korean action director Oh Se-Yeong.
- Action training: kalaripayattu, boxing, MMA and dance gave her the physical range for the role.
- Physical theatre: three months in Greece taught her how to use the body to produce sound and emotion without words.
- Direction: she has written, produced and directed her own plays, giving her a different viewpoint.
What working with Ayushmann confirmed
She remembers the shoot warmly. “Shooting with him was really great as he is a very humble person and he makes everyone so comfortable,” she said. Some of her scenes and dialogues were cut, but she sees that as the makers’ call and values having a presence through the film. She watched it in a London theatre, where audience members recognised her.
She expects the OTT release to widen that visibility further.
What comes next
The pipeline is already full. She has shot a BBC short film for experience and submitted a play to her college, which could become a ticketed production if approved. Two web series are also in post-production or on the way, including one for Goldie Behl’s production house with Sumeet Vyas in the lead.
For an actor who left India at a high point, the plan is clear: return as a more complete artist, on more than one stage.
Source: Hindustan Times
The room talks
0 comments