To play Mithya, I had to unlearn acting: Child actor Athish Shetty

Bengaluru, To play the character Mithya, which, incidentally, won him awards and accolades, child actor Athish Shetty said he had to "unlearn" everything he knew about acting after doing more than a dozen films.

'Mithya' directed by Suman Bhat, under the banner of Rakshith Shetty's Paramvah Studios, is now showing on Amazon Prime.

"Before 'Mithya', I was doing normal child characters you know, where you try to be cute, laugh a lot, cry every now and then. But Mithya was nothing like that, he was so silent he did not even cry although he was obviously sad that I couldn't understand him in the beginning," said Athish.

Athish, who is turning 15 soon, said he has been part of the entertainment industry "as long as he could remember".

"I must have been three or four when I first auditioned for a reality show for a TV channel in Mangaluru. Not only did I get through easily then, I also got the 'best performer of the week' for that show," added the child star, who has played bit roles in big budget films like 'Kantara', starring Risabh Shetty, and 'Vikrant Rona' starring Sudeep Kiccha.

His first fleshed out character came in a 2018 film, written and directed by Rishab Shetty 'Sarkaari Hiriya Praathamika Shaale, Kaasaragodu, Koduge: Raamanna Rai' starring industry bigwigs like Anant Nag. The film that won the 66th National Film Awards for Best Children's Film, is about a Kannada medium government school in Kasargod of Kerala that sits on the border of Karnataka.

Even in that film, said Athish, he played a "normal child character".

Nothing really prepared him for the titular role in 'Mithya', he said.

"I think I am very lucky to have played Mithya," he added.

He was only 11 or 12, when Bhat asked him to do a screen test, said Athish.

"To tell the truth, my screen test was underwhelming. Sumanth sir persisted with me only because I worked previously in a web series produced by him," he said.

Bhat told PTI that there was something about Athish's screen presence that he decided to stick with him despite his lacklustre take of Mithya during the screen test.

"I knew that he would get into the character once I explained to him the nuances of being Mithya," said Bhat.

Athish said the two-month workshop in Manipal that Bhat organised forever changed the concept of acting for him.

"Sumanth sir was very thorough, he broke down Mithya's character in such minute detail that I understood where his angst and resentment could come from, even though as a person he is so different from me. I am not at all moody and I talk a lot. But I could understand why Mithya won't. This helped me a lot when I was shooting for the film," said Athish.

'Mithya' is not an easy film: it ventures too close to reality for comfort. It tells the story of a boy struggling to come to terms with the deaths of his parents.

For much of the film, we watch Athish's Mithya whittle away at his restlessness until he reaches the core of his resentment he blames his younger sister for triggering their parents' domestic discord.

Athish said he also got lucky because Bhat eventually decided to let his younger brother Avish play his sister in the film.

"The chemistry between us that you see in 'Mithya', is much like in real life. We are the same we squabble, giggle and sometimes beat each other. In fact, Sumanth sir saw us play once during the workshop when my mother got Avish along with her and decided to cast him," said Athish.

Bhat said he auditioned many to play Vandana, Mithya's sister. It never really worked out because at that age kids will naturally be fearful if a stranger slapped them, as it was needed in the script, he added.

"But when Athish did that to Avish, he pushed him back instinctively before crying, which is a more natural response between siblings. I was looking for that kind of energy, so we decided on Avish, even though he was a boy," said Bhat.

Athish said this not only helped make Mithya more real, but it paved a way for both their careers in the Kannada film industry.

"I have done two films now 'Dhruva' and 'Exam Fear' where the film revolves around my character. They will be released soon. My brother too is working on a film with 'Kantara' Kishore, in which he plays a full-fledged role, too," said Athish.

A Class 10 student, Athish said although he keeps himself busy in school too he's also national-level kickboxer and state-level Chinese martial arts Wushu fighter acting is something he holds very dear.

"It's a lot of hard work. During school breaks, I end up doing two shifts 6 am to 6 pm and 6 pm to 6 am to complete my commitments. But I truly do not mind. I want to be an actor, no matter what. And a character like Mithya at such an early age, I think, is a blessing," added Athish.

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