Niranga ‘Nero’ Kaluarachchi …….. Captain Cool!
The headline, “Captain Cool” might seem strange, but not to those that have been on one of Nero’s sets. That’s what his colleagues call him, and today, I might just be able to find out why. Nero is an actor, film director and producer. He was born in Sri Lanka and moved to Melbourne 6 years ago. Since then, he has been very active in the local indie movie industry.
DB — thanks for taking the time to talk to me today Nero. You’ve been pretty busy here in Australia with having directed and produced two short films, as well as acting in over ten others, but your journey starts in Sri Lanka. Can you tell us about this?
NK — Hi David, first of all Thanks for having me! Yes, my film-making roots stretch all the way to Sri Lanka, where I spent 19 years of my life there. My first foray into the film world started with a 2010 film called Behind the Scenes (that’s the actual name!) which depicted a group of youngsters trying to make a film. After that, I was involved in a TV show which unfortunately didn’t make it to the public. At the start of 2011, I had no choice other than to think of an alternative career hence, figured out Australia is a place to do some further studies.
DB — So once you got to Australia, that’s when you got really serious about the local movie industry? I believe you started with acting? Can you tell us a bit about how you fell into that?
NK — Yes, I would say so. It took me a gap of 4 years between 2011–2015 to really dive back in to the film industry. After few years away from it, mainly preoccupied by studies, I woke up one day and realised that this part of me had completely vanished over time. So, I really wanted to get in the game and see what projects were out there.
In mid 2015, I started my acting journey as an extra in a film called Chloe Lives (which had its premiere recently) with my good friend Nathan Sirikumar as a director. After that, I was part of few more extra roles and graduated into some supporting roles and then a couple of lead roles too!
Deep inside I really knew that I also wanted to direct/produce films so, in late-2015 I made my directorial debut with the short film RAEES. That was a steep learning curve. Lots of rookie mistakes and yet the film got a positive response from family, friends and festivals. After that, I shifted up a gear and directed ‘No Smoking’, which has performed excellently in festivals worldwide. There’s a film premiere happening in Mumbai as we speak!
DB — So I gotta ask you Nero, why the nickname “Captain Cool”?
NK -Captain Cool huh? that’s probably where it stems from. Most of the crew who worked in RAEES were also a part of No Smoking. I like to make my sets enjoyable and a fun environment. That doesn’t mean that we are too relaxed and don’t get the work done. We are focused, efficient but, also laugh out a lot on the sets. I’ve always enjoyed that atmosphere.
I’m no monk but, I rarely get agitated. Even if I do, I’m very good at not showing it. We faced several of those explode-in-your-face moments throughout the filming and a lot of the crew (while they were freaking out) asked me how on earth I seemed calm.
If you’re doing something, having the right mindset is absolute pre-requisite. I’m a firm believer in that.
DB — Out of all the short films and music videos you were in Niranga, was there one in particular that stood out to you? One that was your favourite?
NK — That’s a hard one but, the one which comes to my mind is the 2016 short film ‘Sick Home’ directed by my good mate James Burke, where I play the lead as a refugee teenager. That role struck me emotionally and I still think about it sometimes.
DB — I’ve noticed that for some actors, moving into directing and producing is a natural thing. You’ve produced and directed a few shorts and are now looking at a feature film. Can you tell us a bit about this?
NK — Yes, That’s the next plan David. While, I have great respect for the art of short-film making. I believe that if you want to think big as a film-maker, you should aim to do more feature films. After all, the point of us making films is to put a good product out there and get paid for it. (Easier said than done I know!). The revenue model for short films is almost non-existent. I will less likely do another short film in my career.
DB — Nero, now that you’ve acted, directed and produced, have you decided on any particular direction that you want to take your movie career in? If we were to be chatting in 5 years, where do you see yourself being?
NK — That’s a good question David. To be very honest, I haven’t done much acting work this year. It’s mainly due to other work commitments which are occupying most of my time. I see myself as a director and producer navigating towards the future. Maybe in 5 years, I would have done a couple of feature films or maybe I’ll be chasing you for an autograph!! you never know.
DB — Thanks for taking the time to chat to me today Niranga. Do you have some links where people can follow your career?
NK — My pleasure David. Great to be here. If people want to check out the two short films that I’ve directed, they can do so in the following links:
Raees and No Smoking
David Black regularly writes for Oz Indie Cinema and is the lead singer/ bass player for Darkness Visible