Actors and actresses are the chameleons of life when on stage. They willingly cast individuality aside only to allow themselves to be completely consumed by an entirely different personality in order to captivate and leave you engrossed in the plot of a story.
Indeed it is true that the world of acting is not only demanding, fascinating and gripping, but it also attracts some of the most sophisticated characters on and off stage.
The extremely talented Nirmala Narine is one such individual. She is a local actress hoping to stir the industry with her witty, spontaneous, and dedicated approach.
In the local world of drama, many easily agree that this humble 27-year-old woman, who began to pursue her acting career in 2008, is proving role by role that she is not only dynamic, but a force to be reckoned with.
Apart from reading, cooking, traveling, and fishing in her spare time, acting is Narine’s first love. Growing up in the countryside was certainly a thrilling experience for this lass who admitted that she was something of a tomboy in her early childhood days, and a very energetic one at that.
“I liked to climb trees and play outdoor games. I grew up in a strict family so I didn’t get to go out much but I had the best of friends so they kept me occupied. I also participated in cultural activities at my temple, youth group and school where I danced a lot.”
But her attention from the “boyish” things took a turn after Narine discovered her passion for acting. “I grew up watching a lot of Indian movies and often wished I could be a dancer and actress in them so my interest and passion for acting developed from there.”
Her first attempt to live her fantasy took place during her teenage years at Bishops’ High School where she played a part in “Romeo & Juliet”. Her first role as a boy came in “Smile Orange” during the Annual Drama Competition between the sporting houses.
Her passion for the art form didn’t stop in high school. She quickly moved on to pursue a Diploma in the field at the National School of Theatre. Arts and Drama. And even though she progressed to the University of Guyana where she completed a Degree in Business Management and is a current Spanish student at the Language Institute, Narine embraces every opportunity available to practise and fine tune her talent.
“In 2008, I participated in the Carifesta workshop where I did training in acting and performed as a schoolgirl in “Moon on A Rainbow Shawl” at the National Cultural Centre. Shortly after, I became a member of the Theatre Guild of Guyana where I have participated in weekly acting workshops.”
She is also proud to have the support of her mother, Parbattie, father Jainarine, and four younger brothers Nehru, Nishal, Navindra and Satyanand. Narine articulated that most of her inspiration comes from her fellow thespians and fans.
The lover of life asserted that in the next five years, she hopes to develop into a much more respected, accomplished and experienced actress and role model for the younger generation of thespians.
Thus far, she has featured in several plays which include “Watch The Ride”, “Makantali”, “To Sir With Love”, “Virtue”, and “Farepickers”.
“Each experience is different even if you play the same role. For instance, I have been a schoolgirl in four different plays but each role demanded something different in terms of tone, personality, character traits etc. I also love that each role brings a new lesson and the best part is that I always have fun.”
She added, “I have done one Indian play before “When Chocolate Melts”. I played the role of a mother of two teenagers. It was a bit challenging for me since I had never done a role like that before and I really had to dig deep to find that maternal instinct.”
Narine said that in some cases, preparing for a role requires a lot of work. She explained, “It sometimes involves a lot of rehearsals, sometimes research on the role or character so you can really try to envision and embody the characteristics associated with the character and bring that forth to the best of your ability.
In the “Link Show” this year, it was hard for me to deliver the role of a presenter/host. As simple as it seems, I had problems with my tone. I really had to do a lot of work on it and I have acquired new found respect to those who do it on a daily basis.”
Narine said that acting has shaped her life immensely because it has opened a number of doors which provided her with the opportunity to perform in two movies; “The Festival of Lights” and “A Jasmine for a Gardener”.
She said that she is also grateful for the art form because it has been a constructive and beneficial platform for her to perform her poetry, and blessed her with the opportunity to participate in street theatre performances in different regions for Merundoi Incorporated, just to name a few.
For the time being, this rising star has been able to successfully cop the best supporting actress award for the play “New Beginnings” in 2011 and the best actress award for “Virtue” in 2012 at the Theatre Guild of Guyana Awards.
Her play “Imprisoned” also placed third at the National Drama Festival in 2012. The upcoming businesswoman said that the art form has certainly taught her to be humble and gave her a deeper sense of appreciation for the different personalities of people and their lives.
Though there aren’t outlandish spoils for actors and actresses in Guyana, Narine asserts that she will continue along this path because it really is her unconditional love for acting that keeps her going.