'Every shot was a learning experience'

Suraj Gowda, a fresh face in Sandalwood, is happy, excited and anxious, all at the same time. His movie ‘Madhuveya Mamatheya Karayole’ (MMK), will release this Friday and he is looking forward to how the audience will receive it.

He says that the journey from his first shot in the movie till its post-production work has been life-changing and hopes that this could be a stepping stone to many quality projects.

“I play the role of a chocolate boy who is just out of college and falls in love with a girl. The movie is a simple love story and involves good humour, with no filthy dialogues,” says Suraj.

While he feels clueless about how the audience will receive the movie, he is happy about how it turned out. “I auditioned in March and we started shoot in May and the movie finished in December. Every step through the movie has been remarkable.”

Like every project that one takes up teaches them many a lesson, Suraj says that it was a different experience to work with great performers. “‘MMK’ has taught me that work doesn’t get easier; I have to keep getting better. All the artistes, including Anant Nag, Chikkanna, Amulya and Bullet Prakash, taught me different things. They’re all stalwarts in their own fields. Every shot was a learning experience.”

He goes on to praise Anant Nag and says, “With Anant sir, it was magical. My first shot was with him and he immediately made me comfortable. He would crack jokes on the set and would advise me to not walk around alone, but mingle with everyone as this would help in better performance. He is a spontaneous and natural actor, who is a great guide.”

About the heroine of the movie, he says, “Amulya is a sweetheart! She is someone who I was very comfortable working with because she doesn’t have the air of a star. She never treated me as a newcomer. We would click selfies on the set and have a lot of fun. A supportive and co-operative co-artiste, she was great fun to work with.”

He says that it was during the initial scene shots that he was nervous but later got comfortable. “I would come early to the sets and see how other shots were taken. This would help me settle in. Being around the set for a longer time helped.”

The most challenging part of the movie was “to match up to the standards of the co-stars”, says Suraj. He adds, “I had to be in the same frame with them and come close to their skills.”

Having walked the ramp during his modelling days, Suraj says that acting and modelling are incomparable fields. “In modelling, once one knows how to walk and strike a pose, there is not much to learn. There is no growth there. But in acting, there is so much to learn.” He says that there is something new to learn in acting everyday. “Acting combines expressions, colour and a lot of energy. There is just so much to observe and do.”

Ask Suraj what made him accept the role in ‘MMK’ and he says it was the screenplay. “The scenes were properly looped and the comedy was spontaneous. It was not an attempted comedy. The movie is a family entertainer and is sure to impress everyone.”