‘Roberrt’ has surprise elements: Tharun Sudhir

Director talks about the making of the anticipated action-drama, releasing next week

Kannada director Tharun Sudhir is excited about his big release ‘Roberrt’ on March 11. This is Tharun’s second venture after the blockbuster ‘Chowka’ in 2017.

Tharun, who started off as an actor, wrote scripts for many ventures before directing ‘Chowka’ with an ensemble cast.

With Darshan in the title role, the bilingual film (Kannada and Telugu) will be exploring a new subject, Tharun says. In a freewheeling chat with Showtime, Tharun talks about how the idea of ‘Roberrt’ took seed, his long-standing friendship with Darshan and more. Excerpts:

What made you write this story?

The idea came to me when I was making ‘Chowka’. Darshan made a guest appearance in the film and his character was called Robert. That scene was stuck in my head for a long time. I wanted to build on that character and make it into a full-fledged film. The script rests heavily on emotions.

How did Darshan react to the script?

He loved it in the first narration itself. Experimenting with superstars is a risky business. Darshan is a director’s actor and is open to changes. He makes suggestions wherever he feels is necessary. But once the shooting starts, he goes with the flow. There are new elements in ‘Roberrt’ that Darshan’s fans will love. He has done some interesting things that will be new for his fans.

Explain Darshan’s rugged look in the film.

Darshan’s new look is one of the many experiments we have done. We roped in sketch artists and tried out different options before finalizing the look. The idea was to make him appear macho, almost like a hulk. He also carries a certain swag and has a style of his own. We wanted him to look just as unusual as the customised bikes that he rides in the film.

What is special about this character?

There’s a line in the film that goes ‘If you want to be a hero in someone’s life, you will have to be a villain in someone else’ life’. The hero lives up to this statement in the film. How he balances out the hero and villainous shades is interesting. It’s a larger-than-life fictional character. The action sequences and body language are a bit exaggerated to suit the story.

Talk about your friendship with Darshan

I have been a part of Darshan’s journey from his debut film ‘Majestic’. We were a group of four: Darshan’s brother Dinakar, my brother Nanda Kishore, Darshan, and myself. I have been to shooting spots of all Darshan’s films. I have watched him grow as an actor. I know his strengths. While trust and friendship are two factors that bind us, Darshan is a thorough professional when it comes to his craft.

You started off as an actor. Why didn’t you stick to it?

My career didn’t take off as an actor. I figured that I was good at writing and directing. I am happy as a director because I get to act in every role.

Are you nervous that the film is releasing during the pandemic?

This film is made on a huge canvas. It is a commercial potboiler and has all the trappings of a Darshan film. When ‘Pogaru’ released, I felt more confident after seeing the crowd pouring into the theatre. So I am not nervous at all and eagerly waiting for the release.