Supreme hero Sai Dharam Tej will be next seen in the mystic thriller Virupaksha. The movie, written and directed by Karthik Dandu, is all set to release on big screens on the 21st of April. Bheemla Nayak fame Samyukta Menon plays the female lead. Ajaneesh Loknath is composing the tunes. BVSN Prasad is bankrolling the movie under the banners Sri Venkateswara Cine Chitra and Sukumar Writings. Ahead of the release, we had a brief interaction with the film’s leading lady, and here is the transcript.
How will your character be in Virupaksha?
Virupaksha is set in a fantasy place named Rudhravanam. It’s a mountain village in which people have their own beliefs. In Virupaksha, I play a village belle Nandini who has a lot of attitude. My director wanted me to play Nandini’s character with more attitude.
Is there any similarity between you and Nandini’s role?
Both are completely different. Nandini’s character will be very energetic, and she is someone who is born and brought up in a village. These are the only similarities between Nandini and me.
Was Virupaksha the first Telugu film you signed?
It’s the second film in Telugu that I have signed after Bimbisara. It looks like a long way for you because of outside factors. I still remember the first dialogue that I read. My journey has been very long with Virupaksha. I don’t know Telugu back then. To get the nuances right, I hired a tutor.
How was your travel with Sukumar Garu?
I met him only during the pre-release event. He used to watch the film after the bulk of the production was done. Karthik Garu had his brainstorming sessions with Sukumar Garu separately, and that’s how the process went.
Under which genre can we categorize Virupaksha?
It is a mystical thriller. It’s not a horror film, but people might feel scared. That depends on the tolerance levels of the audience. Anyhow I am not playing a ghost. The film happens in the 1990s period.
Apart from you and Sai Dharam Tej, whose character will be more elevated in Virupaksha?
Every character will have its prominence. That’s the brilliance of screenplay. Each character will be interlinked. That’s the toughest part about Virupaksha. Most of the time, about 6-7 characters will be in the frame. Even animals have good importance in the film.
Could you tell us about your upcoming films?
After Virupaksha, my next release is Devil. We finished shooting, and it will release in two more months. After Devil, I am yet to sign a film. I am in talks with a few filmmakers, and I will take a decision after Virupaksha’s release. I want to see how people will react to my character in it.