Bharaate’ means sound, and that is exactly what SriiMurali hopes his film will make. Directed by Chethan Kumar, this film which released this Friday explores various sides of the actor.
SriiMurali who was last seen on screen in ‘Mufti’, gets candid with Metrolife, about some experiences with his new film.
Do you think that there was a noticeable gap between your last film and this one?
I take my own time to work on a film. I agree that it took a while to complete this film but the movie demanded it. If I had rushed it, I wouldn’t have been able to give the performance that I have.
Do you feel that the audience will ever forget you because of this?
Honestly, I don’t know. People do wait to watch quality movies and I try to give good movies. My last few films did well at the box office and have been accepted well by the audience. The audience waits now, they look for films that are different.
Have you ever felt the pressure?
After my previous films, ‘Ugramm’, ‘Rathavara’ and ‘Mufti’ clicked well with my fans. I knew that I had to do better films. They were all action-packed and I knew that I had to select good stories.
‘Bharaate’ is close to my heart and I hope that the audience will see how strikingly different my avatar is.
Tell us a bit about the film.
Bharaate is about making the right noise with the right sense in the right place. Bharaate is nothing but sound, and sound has several meanings to it. The film aims to be a family entertainer and has commercial elements like emotions, fight sequences and more.
Tell us about your character.
I play Jagan Mohana, a simple person. He is like any other boy-next-door. Every house or family has a hero, who entertains everyone, keeps the family busy and is warm and loving; I am like that in this film.
He smiles, romances and has cute family moments.
What was your experience like shooting for ‘Bharaate’?
I can easily say that the film is nothing like what I have done in the last few years. The director Chethan tried to take me back to my ‘Chandra Chakori’ days, a film which ran in theatres for a long time. The film will be a feast for everyone’s eyes as it has something for everyone.
How was it to work with Chethan Kumar?
He taught me how to be jovial, romantic and smile whenever I want. The film was a great learning experience.
Is the film majorly set in Rajasthan?
A part of the film was shot in Rajasthan, but it is not the highlight of the movie. The film was shot in several other places: Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mysuru, Kalaburagi, Mandya, Srirangapatna, and even Switzerland.
Did you face any challenges during the shooting?
Shooting at Rajasthan was tough when I had to wear heavy costumes. In fact, the schedule at every location of the film was hectic and tiring. Adding to that, I would make sure that I worked out after every day’s shoot, which was also challenging.
Of the 100 days I shot, barely five days were relaxing. For a man who is always serious, I had to smile and laugh often in this film. I also had to romance on screen, which is not easy for me.
If someone offers you a romantic film to work in...
I would say no right away (laughs). I would not be able to do justice to the film.
Most of the songs in the film went viral. Which is your favourite?
It is ‘Bhara Bhara Bharaate’, which was the first song to be released. My daughter was thoroughly impressed by the song (smiles).