'Lineage gives you that extra edge'

Sumanth Shailendra’s career in Kannada film industry got off to a good start after Dilwala.

Son of popular Kannada producer Shailendra Babu, Sumanth says cinema is in his blood. He says by the time he was in his teens, he knew what went into direction, acting and was sound with the technical side of film-making.

Though Sumanth became a producer at a young age, he knew where his heart always lay – acting.

Then Dilwala happened and after his impressive performance, Sumanth was flooded with offers. But Sumanth prefers to work on one project at a time.

Yet, this year he has been working in three projects simultaneously. The lanky lad says he has had no time to stand and stare.

Metrolife caught up with Sumanth and got him talking about his future projects and his journey thus far.

What instantly catches everybody’s attention is his next project ‘Tirupathi Express’, where Sumanth wears colourful costumes.

“I play the role of a boy who misses the train to Tirupathi and how he manages to reach his destination almost overnight. The story captures the many encounters he has en  route. There are a lot of hilarious moments in the film and that’s why wearing these colourful costumes make sense,” he shares.

Sumanth says that he has begun to get choosy with projects. That’s precisely why his next project Bettanagere Seena is based on a real character – rowdy sheeter Bettanagere Seena, who died in an encounter in the City last year.

“I play the role of Bettanagere Seena in the film. The makers of the film have interacted with Bettanagere Seena’s family and collected information from real locations — all in an effort to pack a lot of reality into the story,” says Sumanth.

He is excited about playing the character of the dreaded don who was known for his brutality.

“To live each moment like he did and to act like him would certainly be a challenging proposition,” he adds. He has also signed another project which will be directed by Sadu Kokila. “It’s a romantic entertainer,” he adds.

And has his lineage favoured him? “Of course, lineage gives you that extra edge in understanding how the film industry works. Unlike a lot of newcomers, I was never shy of the camera and am very confident about what I do ,” he points out.