In tune with the character

Actor Shivarajkumar is getting to play some very exciting roles. If he slipped into the role of an Army officer in 'Mass Leader', he is now seen as a man who wants to bring about a change in the system in 'Mufti'. He is also playing very unique roles in his next two projects - 'Tagaru' and 'The Villain'. The actor is enjoying the opportunity to don characters that he has never played before and wishes to work on films that are both entertaining and thought-provoking.

In an interview with Nina C George, Shivarajkumar gets candid about his work.

What impressed you about 'Mufti'?

My character in 'Mufti' has a different shade. It is nothing like what one saw in 'Mass Leader'.

Tell us about your character?

The character I play is called Ranagaulu and he portrays a system. I like the way director Narthan has embellished my character. The power and strength of my character lies not only in the dialogues but also in the body language, voice modulation and expression. The director has played on my looks and expressions to convey the message.

How do you interpret the title?

The word mufti normally refers to policemen in plain clothes. We usually see politicians wearing khadi and when they appear in a different type of costume, we say that they are in mufti. Here, the director has tried to commonise that word and relate it to normal people.

Was it easy for you to emote your character?

Most characters need improvisation but here I could easily relate to the character after Narthan narrated it to me.

Not everybody gets an opportunity to play such a role and I am glad that I got one.

How do you connect your role with that of Sriimurali's character?

Like I had mentioned earlier, my character portrays a system and Sriimurali comes face-to-face with that system. How does that system respond to him? And how Sriimurali's character becomes one with the system. This is what connects the two characters. The characters are not shot in the regular predictable format. The audience will be able to tell the difference in the way the characters have been styled.

On working with Sriimurali...

There's a lot of change in Sriimurali. He has become more polished and now has a more subtle style of performing.

He knows exactly how much to act and where not to act.

You are seen doing a lot of action sequences in 'Tagaru'. Tell us about it?

My character in 'Tagaru' is supposed to portray a mix of power and emotion. The beauty of the action sequences is that they have not been simply created to fit into the frame. It naturally flows into the script and the narration.

On working with Sudeep in 'The Villain'...

There's a richness about the way the story has been shot. Both Sudeep and I portray very powerful characters, so much so that the audience will be left wondering who the real villain is.