I want to do mature roles: Vijay Raghavendra

The actor speaks to Tini Sara Anien about his upcoming film, ‘Case of Konadana’, and the excitement of working on thrillers

Vijay Raghavendra had a busy 2023 with five releases. After working in thrillers like ‘Marichi’ and ‘Raaghu’, the actor is back on the screen with the action thriller, ‘Case of Kondana’. Directed by Devi Prasad Shetty, the film is Vijay’s second venture with the filmmaker. In a tête-à-tête with DH, the actor reveals more about his role and working with Bhavana.

Is ‘Case of Kondana’ an extension of Devi Prasad Shetty’s ‘Seetharam Benoy Case No. 18’?

The film has nothing to do with ‘Seetharam…’ and is a standalone film. It is an interesting movie, and is based on an incident that happens over the course of a night. Kondana is an imaginary place. ‘Case of…’ is a hyperlink film (a movie with many characters and incidents happening parallelly). 

You’ve portrayed the role of a cop multiple times. How different was this experience?

ASI Wilson is an honest and intense character. However, Wilson is more impulsive than Seetharam, the character I played in the filmmaker’s previous project. Wilson is much younger compared to Seetharam too. However, I would like to play roles my age. I want to do mature roles. 

What pulls you towards mature roles?

I played Laxmi Narayana Malgudi, a retired writer in ‘Malgudi Days’, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I am still referred to as ‘Chinnari Mutha’. It is a gift filmmaker T S Nagabharana gave me. 

However, I would also like to work on roles that make me stand out as an artiste. Whenever a film is announced or its trailer is out, people start guessing what the story is and who the different characters are. Often such roles are predictable, but when mature roles are portrayed on screen, they have a certain freshness to offer. 

What was it like working with Devi Prasad Shetty again? 

The core team of the film was the same as of ‘Seetharam…’. Having worked with the director earlier, ‘Case of Kondana’ was a cakewalk. I am a director’s actor and like following exactly what the director expects from me.

Your last few films were thrillers too. Do you think thrillers are popular again?

It was not a conscious choice to work in thrillers. I am not that highly sought-after an actor to be making such choices (laughs).  Thriller films have always excited audiences as long as they have been made well. ‘Case of Kondana’ has a lot of elements in it, which will make it stand out for its presentation. 

Can you talk about your experience working with actor Bhavana Menon?

Bhavana is an excellent actor, and working with her has been a longtime desire. She is a dedicated artiste, and she ensures that her lines are given to her early. Even if it is just a few lines or pages, she emotes her lines and steps into the character. She is a fantastic human being too. 

Are you more open to working with new directors now? 

I love working with new directors. I am not sure why but I think it is the way I gel with them. However, I am also more scared of new directors, as they are actually aware of what the audience wants and how the industry functions now. New directors bring a fresh energy with them, which inspires me. 

What’s in the pipeline?

I will be playing a psychiatrist in ‘Grey Games’, a new-age film, directed by Gangadhar Salimath.