Two-timing

Kannada film Just Math Mathalli which releases this Friday. But I have been receiving phone calls from friends who have appreciated my work in Rann,” states the actor-director,who plays the son of Amitabh Bachchan in the film. After all,to stand shoulder to shoulder with veterans like Bachchan and Paresh Rawal is no mean achievement. “Acting is not alien to me,but I was slightly nervous about the dialogue delivery in Hindi. I had put in that extra effort.”

The 34-year-old will follow his splendid portrayal of the business-minded media baron,with Phoonk 2 and Rakta Charitra. So isn’t he worried about being typecast as an unconventional hero? “I don’t think any role is unconventional and one never knows what genre will do well. I believe in experimenting and so far it has paid off. Phoonk was a huge hit. I hope the sequel too does well.”

Sudeep’s tryst with Bollywood started when he came to meet Ram Gopal Varma to buy the rights of Sarkar in order to remake it in Kannada. “He spoke to me for some time,after which he offered Phoonk to me. It was RGV’s clarity of thought that struck a chord and I decided to take up the offer.” However,his plans of remaking Sarkar have been stalled for now. “I wanted to make the film with Vishnuvardhan in the lead,but his untimely death did us in. Now I will have to wait a few years,after which I will cast myself in the lead,” he says.

But for the moment he has plans of extending his directorial prowess to Bollywood. “I will be remaking Just Math Mathalli in Hindi. Kumar Taurani of Tips is producing this romantic film,” he confirms. Speculation is rife that Shahid Kapoor or John Abraham will be cast opposite Asin or Deepika Padukone in the film. “We have shortlisted these names,but nothing has been finalised yet.” The actor is also keen on working with other filmmakers here. But so far he does not know people beyond the RGV camp. “The industry here is more aware and technically more adept as opposed to where I come from,” he explains.

Despite the adulation Rann has garnered,Sudeep’s top priority still remains Sandalwood (as the Kannada film industry is popularly known) and he has no plans of shifting base to Mumbai. “I am okay with working in Bollywood whenever they want me to. But it is there that I achieved my first success. I owe it to them.”

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