Kannada star Sudeep is a busy man these days. After his latest film Gooli, which is doing excellent business all over Karnataka, the actor will be seen in Bollywood film Phoonk which is directed by Ram Gopal Varma.
The actor recently took a day off from shooting the film in Mumbai to shoot for his other film in Kannada titled Mussanje Maathu opposite Ramya.
R G Vijayasarathy caught up with the actor when he was in Bangalore for more on his first Hindi film and future projects.
Tell us about this Hindi film with Ram Gopal Varma. Nobody had any clue about it till now...
Well, after I finished my Kannada film Theertha, I went and did a photo shoot for Varmaji's film. I could not tell even my friends in the industry about this project because I too, was not aware of the shooting schedules.
I have already shot twenty days for Phoonk with twenty days of shooting remaining. It's in the thriller-horror genre for which Varma is famous for.
I still don't know why Varma chose me as the lead for Phoonk.
How did the film happen? Had you contacted Ram Gopal Varma earlier?
I had met Varma earlier but did not imagine that I would be a part of his film. I was to do a Telugu and Kannada bilingual film earlier, which was supposed to be directed by his protege and actor-director, J D Chakravarthy. That, however did not take off.
Then one day I received the bound script of Phoonk from Varma. I read the whole script and was impressed. But I had a few Kannada film commitments then and told him that I would be busy till March 15. He understood my position and said that he would wait.
Could you throw light on the film?
As I had said earlier, the film is in the thriller-horror genre which is produced by One More Thought Entertainment.
Amar Mohli, who had worked as the music director of Sarkar and Sarkaar Raj is the composer for Phoonk while the camera work is being handled by Savitha. Marathi stage actress Amrutha is the heroine. I cannot tell you more.
What about your Kannada film commitments?
My roots and my family are in Bangalore. I have accepted this Hindi film only because of my respect for Varma. It is like any professional going on a holiday or taking a break. Going to Mumbai to work in a film has been like a holiday for me. My only regret is that I am not with my family members during this 'holiday'! I hope they will join me soon in Mumbai.
As for Kannada films, I have to make my stand very clear. I have made a name for myself here with a decent fan base. Why should I leave this industry and try my luck elsewhere?
Your recent film Gooli got a huge opening and it is said to be a hit. Do you plan to work in action and gangster films hereafter?
Gooli is the creation of director P Sathya. I just followed what he told me. He told me that if the film is a failure, then he would direct a film according my tastes.
There were many dialogues in the film which I had not uttered before and I am told that the audience loved them. I have put a lot effort and hard work into the film.
I am not going to say that I will work only in films like Gooli because my decision to act in films has always been dictated by the strength of the script. My judgement may fail sometimes, but I have always valued the script.
There is a lot of hype surrounding your next film, Mussanje Maathu. It is after a long gap that you are doing a film with Ramya after things soured between the two of you during the making of Ranga S.S.L.C. What made you to forget the bitter experience?
I think we have to show maturity. Both of us had unpleasant experiences in the past but I think these things should not remain with us permanently.
Yes, I was little upset with Ramya during the shooting of Ranga S.S.L.C. Anyway, when the story of Mussanje Maathu was briefed by Mahesh, I told him to contact Ramya for the role. The heroine's character is equally strong and important in Mussanje Maathu.
Then I asked Ramya to hear the script. She was equally impressed with the role and spoke to me for half an hour. She said she was dying to do such a role.
What about your films Kaamannana Makkalu and Theertha?
Kaamannana Makkalu is the remake of the Malayalam film Thommanum Makkalum, which starred Mammootty. The remake, which will be directed by Guru Datt, is a comedy with a little bit of action.
Theertha, on the other had is a performance-oriented film by Sadhu Kokila. I am very happy that I have many emotional sequences with Anant Nag in this film. I am looking forward to it.
