Addinath Kothare shares grueling prosthetic work behind surprise hit "Nayyi Navelli"

Addinath M Kothare says his role in "Nayyi Navelli" has turned into an unexpected audience favorite despite the exhausting prosthetic suit he wore. The actor feels overwhelmed by the positive response, noting that the film’s festive family vibe matches its Dussehra release timing. The team fast‑tracked shooting after a April start to meet the holiday window, tackling heavy VFX, fantasy set‑pieces, a large cast and several songs. Production designer Ravi Srivastava – known for "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Lion" – oversaw the visual details, while cinematographer Rishi Punjabi captured the fantasy world. Directors Aanand L Rai and Himanshu Sharma are praised by Kothare as master storytellers. Coming from a horror‑comedy lineage, Kothare’s father Mahesh Kothare created the cult classics "Zapatlela" (1993) and "Pachhadlela" (2004); the son assisted on the latter and appeared in "Zapatlela 2" (2013). He adds that his upcoming film "Ramayana" will release close to "Nayyi Navelli", offering a historical contrast to the myth‑based fantasy. Working with star Yami Gautam Dhar proved smooth, as she was described as down‑to‑earth and supportive, even helping him lock the character’s mannerisms after a spontaneous joke. As the only non‑North Indian actor, Kothare spent extra time mastering the Meerut dialect. The biggest hurdle was a full‑body silicone suit with facial patches, which he wore up to 12 hours a day. Dressing took four hours and removal another one‑and‑a‑half hour, all in May heat. The set used five “anaconda” air‑conditioning units with long tubes; two were dedicated to his cooling needs. Early days caused severe itch, solved by coating his skin with a thick layer of Abzorb dusting powder and a swimmer’s sweatsuit underneath. Sweat eventually seeped through the suit, making his body feel like it was melting. The shoot lasted about 50 days, with the prosthetic suit required for 20 days, a physically and mentally demanding schedule that the crew’s support made possible.

Context

The film blends mythological fantasy with horror‑comedy, a niche that Kothare’s family helped popularise in Marathi cinema. The elaborate prosthetic work reflects a growing trend of Indian movies using high‑tech makeup to create larger‑than‑life characters.