As the lead in Kanchana 4, the eagerly anticipated fourth iteration of the well-liked horror-comedy franchise, international sensation Nora Fatehi is making a spectacular debut in Tamil film. Nora is eagerly embracing this new stage of her career, already buoyed by the popularity of her most recent song, Oh Mama! Tetema.
Talking to a leading publication, about why she chose Kanchana 4, the actor shares, “When Kanchana 4 was offered to me, I immediately felt it was the right project to step into Tamil cinema. The franchise already has such a strong legacy, and the script was so unique that I wanted to be part of it. I was looking to be a part of another comedy after the success of Madgaon Express.”
Language has been a challenge, but Nora isn’t one to shy away from experiments. “Of course language is always a challenge, but I love challenges, I’ve had to adapt to Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam before, and now Tamil. It’s definitely the hardest so far but I spend extra hours rehearsing my lines and working on the pronunciation,” she explains.
What has kept her motivated is the encouragement she’s received on set. “The nicest thing has been the crew telling me they didn’t expect me to be so natural in the comic bits. That kind of feedback really keeps me going. And I feel it’s about respecting the culture, the language, and giving your best,” says Nora, who has earlier acted in films like Be Happy.
With experience in Malayalam and Telugu industries too, Nora reflects on the differences she’s noticed. “Every industry has its own flavour. Tamil cinema is very rooted in storytelling, and there’s a lot of emphasis on performance and strong scripts. Bollywood, on the other hand, has its own larger-than-life energy. Both industries are passionate about cinema, but the styles of working, the audience expectations, and even the filmmaking processes feel slightly different. For me, it’s exciting to experience and learn from both worlds.”
With Kanchana 4, Nora Fatehi is not just stepping into a new phase but she is also setting the stage for her next big leap in Indian cinema.
