Hero Sushanth will be seen in a pivotal role in Ravi Teja’s upcoming action thriller, Ravanasura. Produced jointly by Ravi Teja and Abhishek Nama, the Sudheer Varma directorial is slated for a grand release worldwide on April 7 amid sky-high expectations from fans and trade circles. Sushanth interacted with the media recently and shared several interesting snippets about the movie. Here’s the transcript:
Who is the Ravanasura? You or Ravi Teja?
My first look poster was released with the caption “Sushanth as Ram”, while Ravi Teja is essaying the titular role. If you observed the trailer closely, almost all the characters had grey shades. In fact, the title has the tagline “Heroes don’t exist.” So you have to wait until the film’s release to know who is Ram and who is Ravanasura.
How was the experience of working on your first full-fledged thriller?
Even though my previous film ‘Ichata Vaahanamulu Niluparadu’ had a few thrilling episodes, it wasn’t entirely a thriller. Ravanasura is my first full-fledged thriller. It’s an exciting thriller and has many new elements. The film has an innovative theme that is never seen before in Tollywood and the treatment is very fresh. I aspire to portray various roles with new dimensions and I got the opportunity to look new in Ravanasura.
What was your reaction when you listened to Ravanasura’s script?
I was about to take another project to sets when producer Abhishek Nama offered me Ravanasura. It was his idea to cast me in the role and I thank him for that. But I gave my nod soon after listening to Ravanasura’s script, as I felt it was a unique subject. While my character is very crucial, Ravi Teja has played an excitingly new character.
As an actor, what is your contribution to Ravanasura?
When I first listened to Ravanasura’s script, I appreciated director Sudheer Varma, but suggested that it would be nice if he added some other dimension to the story. He took my suggestion sportingly, re-worked on the script and came up with a solid new dimension that took Ravanasura to the next level. Even Ravi Teja appreciated the multi-layered script. The film has surpassed all my expectations.
How have your combination scenes with Ravi Teja come out?
Fans will feel a different kind of excitement while watching our scenes on the big screen. Our scenes are quite crucial in the narrative. Sudheer Varma has shown both me and Ravi Teja in a new way. I’m eagerly waiting to see fans’ response when the film hits the silver screens.
It’s been 15 years since you entered Tollywood. But you have been very choosy about your scripts?
I feel fortunate to have entered the film industry from the Akkineni family. Since the beginning, I only chose the projects that came my way. While some projects got delayed during filming, some had a very delayed release. These were not in my hands and even I’m clueless about the gap. But despite the long gaps, I was constantly inspired to do something exciting and decided to ensure no gaps in my projects after Chi La Sow. And then came Covid which led to another gap. But I’ve been very busy in the past 6 months. I have okayed a script in which I’ll play a solo hero. I’m also listening to a few more scripts these days.
Did Ala Vaikunthapurramulo bring a new twist in your career?
Ala Vaikunthapurramulo’s success did earn me a good name, especially in the North. I was offered several projects after Ala Vaikunthapurramulo, but I chose to be part of only those scripts that really excited me. Ravanasura and Megastar’s Bholaa Shankar are the two projects that excited me the most.