Sri Lankans making positive noise on the global stage is always something to be celebrated, and one happy global milestone is that of Sri Lankan actress Nimmi Harasgama who was just nominated under the category of “Drama Performance” at Britain’s National TV Awards for her performance in the British TV series “The Good Karma Hospital”.
The Good Karma Hospital, which follows the lives of characters (British and Indian) who work at a cottage hospital in South India, is a show produced for the British television network ITV, which is most notably known (recently) for producing the hit series “Downton Abbey”, among many, many others.
One of the more interesting things about The Good Karma Hospital is that though it is set in South India (in Kerala, to be exact), it is shot in southern Sri Lanka, mainly in Unawatuna, along with other places in the Galle District, including Unawatuna’s Thiranagama Golden Beach Restaurant which fills in for a bar frequently haunted by the show’s character’s after work.
Nimmi’s role in The Good Karma Hospital is that of a nurse, and while not a lead role per se, it is one that has gone on to capture audiences, as evidenced by her nomination and the British National TV Awards. Nimmi’s other roles are diverse. She recently took an applauded turn playing Nalini, the main character’s mother in Deepa Mehta’s adaption of Shyam Selvadurai’s seminal novel “Funny Boy”, and is more popularly known for her performances as the inimitable Auntie Netta and the attention-grabbing social media influencer parody Brulee Silva.
Brunch chatted with Nimmi for her thoughts on being nominated for an esteemed award like the British National TV Awards, The Good Karma Hospital, and how she approaches roles as an actor.
Following are excerpts of the interview.
How does it feel to be nominated at the British National TV Awards?
I’m really happy. It’s a really nice feeling to be included in a list of such amazing peers like Gillian Anderson, Olivia Coleman, Hugh Laurie, and so many other people I see on TV. Honestly, I’m quite shocked and amazed that I’m on that list with them.
The award is audience and popularity-based – it’s based on audience votes. I’m still not sure how I was selected (I’ve asked my agent but he hasn’t responded yet). I know my castmates Amanda Redman and Amrita Acharia have been nominated in the past, as well as the show itself, but I never thought I would be nominated. It’s a very nice feeling.
Tell us a little bit about The Good Karma Hospital and your character, Mari Rodriguez.
We haven’t filmed in two years because of all that has been going on, but we’re on our third season so far and are supposed to film season four in August. The show itself, The Good Karma Hospital, is about this young doctor from England, a mixed-race South Asian woman, who leaves England to find herself and ends up working at a cottage hospital in South India, called the Good Karma Hospital. My character, Mari, is a nurse at the Good Karma Hospital.
The show is about daily life at this hospital, and within that, it’s a very character-based show. You have different people with ailments and you follow their story, sometimes through one episode and sometime over the course of that series. At the same time, you also see the series regulars and follow what’s going on in their lives – at the hospital, at a bar they frequent (it’s run by actor Neli Morrisey in the show). It’s a very feel-good, Sunday evening primetime show.
Mari takes on a bigger role in season three. I loved it. It was more gritty and my storylines had more drama to them. One of my storylines dealt with an acid burn victim, where Mari got very involved, and there was this amazing scene written by Dan Sefton where Mari confronted the man who threw the acid on the victim (Mari and the victim were close, and it captures how the friends and family of the person burned by acid feels) and asks him why he would do such a thing. It was a fabulous storyline, and very well researched.
What do you identify most with about the character of Mari and how do you approach playing her?
When the show was being cast, I was living in LA, and Prasad Perera, who was the local casting director (and a friend of mine), contacted me and said: “There’s a superb role for you. The character is just like you. She has a really big heart and is really bossy.” That was how he saw the role, and I have to agree. Mari is extremely caring and also likes to be in control. Like me.
At the time, Mari was a minor role. It was a series regular role, but still a minor one, but you make the most of what you get – the fact that I was in a very big-budget series for ITV was amazing and I worked really hard in that series to be seen. I was working alongside amazing actors Amrita and Amanda, and I worked really hard on the script and found places where even if I didn’t have lines and there were cutaways, I’d be there. That was how I approached building up the role, making my part bigger and letting people see what I was doing with it.
How attached do you get to the characters you play, especially in a TV context, when it’s an extended portrayal?
It doesn’t matter how long or short a role is. You still do all the work pre-performance to understand and get into that character, and there’s a fondness for every character you play. I’m one of those actors where it takes me a while to let go of someone – both in my profession and in life – so I do get attached to the characters I play. I can’t pretend I don’t.
There was one character I played when I was younger; I had only just done my degree and hadn’t been working professionally long, and the character was a really intensely complex layered woman who I really wanted to do justice to and I had to really remove myself from everything else to play her. Now, it’s easier. As an actor, you’re constantly learning, and I am definitely still learning, but I’m in a better place now to remove myself from the people I’m playing.
Being nominated for an award like the British National TV Award is quite an achievement. How do you think awards and recognition like this help actors?
When I won an award in Spain for my role in “Ira Madiyama”, I had no idea that we were in a competition; I just thought I was being taken to a lovely film festival where I could meet people and watch films from around the world. I had no idea there would be a red carpet or anything like that (I didn’t even take a sari with me). Personally, that experience and a few other experiences like that have been really exciting.
Film festivals and awards are a place to really acknowledge and celebrate the profession we’re in and be among our peers from all over the world. It’s very celebratory and an educational experience as well; learning about other countries’ film styles and things like that. For instance, I would never have watched Korean films if not for film festivals. It’s a place to celebrate what we do and why we’re doing it. We like the exposure and the recognition that comes with awards and festivals. Also, when it comes to our work, we’re putting ourselves out there with the knowledge that people may love it or hate it, and it’s nice to be acknowledged and appreciated.
What are your hopes for if you win?
Winning the award would be amazing. I don’t know if that would make a difference, but I would love to think that it could. Especially this award, because it is so hard to break into the British film industry. I hope the exposure from the award will help me get more work, but who knows, we’ll just have to wait and see.
One thing I have to say is that the love I’ve been feeling from Sri Lanka since I’ve been nominated is phenomenal. It’s so humbling to know that I have so many people out voting for me. I’m not sure if the votes will count in England, but I don’t care – the fact that they’re rooting for me is amazing. This year has been such a rollercoaster for all of us, with Covid, and I am so appreciative of everything that people are doing. I’d like to send out a massive thank you to everyone. It makes me feel really special and really nice.
