In Tollywood where movies of three fights and six songs are a standard staple for cinema, 'Prasthanam' directed by Deva Katta came as a surprise to many who gave up hopes.The movie had intense performances, strong dialogues, sensible story line and applause worthy cinematography and more than anything else, the film had Sundeep Kishan.This 23 year old with a mammoth love for cinema is the most critically acclaimed actor this year.Basking in the glory of appreciation for his whistle drawing performance, Sundeep admits that he did the role as he liked it immensely and spontaneity did the wonders on screen.
"Method acting doesn't work for every charecter.For my charecter 'Chinna' in Prasthanam, I had to be unpredictable and spontaneous.I used to reharse my dialogues just minutes before the shot. My body language for that charecter had to be A surprise for the audience and so I conciously didn't follow any method for the performance in it. While shooting for it, I used to talk very little and was in my own world.This process made Chinna an unpredictable charecter on screen that worked" says the actor.Incidentally, Prasthanam was the only Telugu movie that got selected for Indian panorama in Goa film festival this year.
Nephew of ace cinematographers Chota K Naidu and Shyam K Naidu, Sundeep consisders compliments from his family and film maker Krishna Vamsi the best ones for his acting in the movie.
"Krishnavamsi is my favourite director and I admire him a lot . After watching the movie, he walked up to me and abused me with foul words saying how I could deliver such stupendous performance in my first movie. I guess that is the best thing one has ever said to me in appreciation of my work." he reveals.
An MBA from Loyola college in Chennai, Sundeep grew up loving cinema and worked as assistant director to film maker Gautam Menon for the movie Surya S/ Krishnan. This year, his yet another release 'Snehageetam' did decent business in the state cementing his position in Tollywood. Sundeep is now looking forward to the release of his first Hindi movie 'Shor', a Balaji Telefilms production, in which he shares screen space with Tushar Kapoor and Senthil Ramamoorthy. 'Shor' too got rave reviews in all the international film festivals.He says while he loves to do Telugu movies, he saw a great oppurtunity in 'Shor' that made him sign the film.
"Shor is an international film the country will be proud of. Mine is a realistic role in the film and with a strong performance oriented charecter.I thought Shor was a great oppurtunity for debutant like me and I grabbed it. The director of the film Krishna whose earlier movie 99 was my all time favourite . When he wanted to cast me, I went ahead without second thought" Kishan says.
Sundeep is a part of critically acclaimed cinema. Will we ever get to see him in a gravity defying fight sequence and a movie with illogical SUV flying scenes?
"I am not making films for the critics or the audience.No one knows what kind of movies appeal to critics and audience.I can only be a part of a film I believe in. I am not here for money but for satisifaction. I want audience to get value for money when they watch my movies.I want to have a filmography with movies I can be proud of. I don't see anything wrong in movies with gravity defying fights as long as it is value for money to audience. I enjoying movies with fights and songs.'Robot' too had logic defying stunts but audience loved it.I will do any genre if I am confident it will be 'paisa vasool 'for movie goers"
However, Prasthanam wasn't a commercial blockbuster at the box office. Does he think Telugu audience ready to watch parallel cinema?
"For a film not to do good, there are so many factors. Telugu audience adored films like 'Sinduram' and 'Anthapuram'. If a film is good, it works and the movie's success depends on lot of circumstances. For all you know the taste of the audience might change by the tiime you finish your movie. For instance, Prasthanam had four songs. But after the morning show, audience wanted us to remove those songs immediately.Commercial cnema is something that works at the box office. There is nothing called parallel cinema genre, because all movies are made to work at the box office. Audience love to watch good cinema anyday" he quips.
Sources say, Sundeep is waiting for the response to' Shor ' to make his next move in Tollywood and is also in talks with Tamil film makersAn ardent cinema lover, this three movie old star reveals that his life time ambition is to make his name synonymous to good cinema and worth applauding acting.
"I am ambitious and want to do lot of films. I want audience to believe in me for my films. I want to do movies that make people trust me.I want to be a reason for them to come to theatres. I would consider that my life time achievement if they associate me with sensible entertainment." he says on a parting note.
(Published in The New Indian Express on 20 Dec, 2010)
cool actor..
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