The year 2014 was a packed one for Sundeep Kishan. Though he had only two releases Ra Ra Krishnayya and Joru, he had to wrap up both and also finish major portions of Beeruva and Tiger .
Sundeep says Beeruva, set to release soon , will bring him closer to the family audience and kids, as it revolves around his relationship with a cupboard. “We are usually attached to a favourite chair or couch. For instance, my mom, was attached to her beeruva (cupboard); she would hide all her important things, like old photographs and jewellery, in it. In this movie, every time the father comes to hit him, the character hides in the beeruva and the drama starts from there. If you remember, at the audio launch event I came out of a beeruva . The beeruva becomes a character and drives the screenplay of the film. Every time it comes on screen, people will start laughing... malli yedho jaruguddhi ane feeling vosthundi (something will happen again, you feel).”
Sundeep felt no pressure while doing his initial movies; in Prasthanam, Gundello Godari, Shor In The City or D For Dopidi , he was a part of an ensemble cast. Routine Love Story was the only movie from which producers began investing on him; till then he had been doing his bit and would move on to the next movie. All that changed with Venkatadri Express . He observes, “ Venkatadri Express gave me the stability I needed. Once you give a solid hit you are in a stable place. Until then you don't know if you’ll have another film or not. As a performer you are dependent on someone to give you work, but if your film works big time, you are in a place where you can choose your work.”
Has his approach to cinema changed in the last five years? “Yes, I feel very mature; feel so much more pressure and responsibility. It is no longer just about my performance, I need to pick a good script and make sure the film comes out well, gets promoted and released. Lot of stakes involved. Earlier prasantanga bhojanam chesavadini ( I would eat in peace) now I think twice before I take in a morsel. Earlier I was just any other actor but now I am a hero and I conduct myself with responsibility. Ra Ra Krishnaiyya had a decent run but Joru was a flop. I laughed non-stop when I heard the script of Joru but sometimes things go wrong. I chose to go by the director's vision, henceforth I will insist cheppina katha cheppinattu execute cheyyali (the story should be executed exactly as it was narrated),” he elaborates.
Having chalked up a decent score of three films in one year, most of them overlapping, he now wants to go slow. The actor says he isn't comfortable with bilinguals though he is not against Tamil movies being dubbed in Telugu. After Yaruda Mahesh he didn't do a Tamil film but this time he is working on a very good script which he will take up after he wraps up Tiger .
Ask when he will do a negative role again, and Sundeep says confidently, “Only if it is driven by the script and is exciting. I have already done that, now I need to re-invent myself. I will be looking towards something like Aurangazeb, Darr . I have so much goodwill amongst the family audience and it is important to sustain that; so I can't take a risk. As of now I can say Tiger will be my best performance after Prasthanam . I always believed that if you want to do something from your heart it will happen, though it might take a little longer. All you need to do is work towards it, a bit harder.”
