'I always play pranks on the sets'

Actor Suraj Gowda is in a comfortable space. And why not? This year has proved quite fruitful for him though he believes that he has a lot more to do. The actor is awaiting the release of his bilingual movie which will be called 'Snehave Preethi' in Kannada and '2 Friends' in Telugu.

He will also soon be seen in 'Amara Chitra Katha'. In a candid chat with Tini Sara Anien, he talks

Can you tell us a bit about the bilingual?

The movie is a commercial one. It has all the elements for entertainment like romance, dance and action. The story is a good one and shows a battle between love and friendship.

How was it working in a bilingual?

The movie was made in Telugu and everyone around me spoke the language. I am not that familiar with Telugu. In fact, it's only when they decided to cast me that they came up with the idea of making the film a bilingual.

Why did the team choose you for the film?

It was a surprise for me as well but I am guessing my chocolate-boy looks worked. The Telugu industry has a lot of talent and even I was pleasantly surprised when the director expressed his interest in working with me, especially after watching my performance in 'Siliconn City'.

What attracted you to the movie?

I believe that never before has a director from the Telugu industry looked for fresh talent in the Kannada industry.

I was deeply impressed by the fact that someone from outside wanted to tap the talent here. It was more experimental for me and it satisfied my ego.

Any interesting moments on the sets of 'Snehave Preethi'?

I always play pranks on the sets. When we were staying in a hotel in Hyderabad, I cooked up a story that the hotel was haunted.

We used to play pranks on Farah (one of my co-actors). We would switch off the lights of her room and slip in things under the door.

The next day, one of us would innocently ask her why she looked tired and she would explain why she couldn't sleep the night before.

How did it feel to act as a college student?

It felt great to be a 19-year-old on screen. One can't do it for a long time, so I'm enjoying it while I can. It was easy to portray a college student on screen. All I had to do was lose some weight.

Is working out an integral part of being an actor now?

Yes. Earlier, one could get away with just their performance. In today's time, one can do a lot with looks. Looks do matter a lot now.

Do campus-based stories work well still?

It's not just about the story but also about how it is told. Stories could look or sound the same but the way they are shown on screen makes all the difference.

According to you, what are the elements required for a hit?

There is no formula for a successful film. If there was one, there would have been no flops at all. The movie should just appeal to the audience and make a connect. Youth-oriented subjects always attract the youth. The college-going crowd is afterall the biggest movie-going audience.