JOIN US'The character I play is still alive somewhere'
Even after all these years, the very mention of the name Veerappan, the once dreaded don, evokes a sense of curiosity and triggers fear among people. There have been movies and documentaries made about him and his family. The latest to join the bandwagon, and project on the big screen the life of the forest brigade, is Ram Gopal Varma’s ‘Killing Veerappan’, which has actors Shivarajkumar and Parul Yadav essaying prominent roles.
Ram Gopal Varma is known for his dramatic and rather exaggerated portrayal of events but here he has chosen a subtle path and focusses on expressions to convey emotions. The posters for the movie are out and what instantly catches your attention is actress Parul Yadav’s look in the film — she appears without any makeup. “The posters have me looking disturbed and horrific. I am not my usual glamourous self. I haven’t worn makeup and people who have seen the posters say that they’ve never seen this side of me before,” explains Parul. She further states that the posters have not only fired the imagination of her fans about her role in the film but a few friends from the film industry have also complimented her for the look.
She adds that the movie brings to fore facts that people don’t know about Veerappan and what led to his killing. “It’s a story inside a story. It is not what people already know about Veerappan, it’s presented in a new light.” She elaborates that her role reflects reality in a lot of ways. The character she is playing is still alive and lives somewhere in the southern part of the country.
“The character I play is still alive somewhere and who knows, she may even watch the movie when it releases. This is the first time that I am playing a non-fictional role, and I am sure a lot of people will understand and relate to the emotions surrounding the character,” she says.
Parul also mentions that she admires Ram Gopal Varma’s style of narration. “There is an emotionally draining scene in the film and soon after we shot that scene, Ram Gopal Varma called me and showed what we had shot and described my performance as “brilliant”. This, I must say, was the best moment for me and I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
The film is slated to release in the last week of November.