‘Kavaludaari’ is an honest effort: Rishi

Rishi won many praises for his last film ‘Operation Alamelamma’. The young star has never been choosy about his scripts but has always wished to work on projects that not only entertaining but also had a strong message. And he got exactly that in ‘Kavaludaari’ which hit the theatres today. In an interview with Metrolife, Rishi talks about the film and more.    

Tell us about your character in the film.
I play the traffic cop named K S Shyam. He joins the police department because he wants to investigate crime but he struggles a lot, professionally and personally. However, these struggles and conflicts within him are what shape his character. 

What efforts did you make to get into the skin of the character?
I always look at the character from multiple perspectives. I believe that every action has a story behind it. A smile, too, could have an interesting story behind it. I try to find that out. There’s a struggle in everybody’s life. Shyam too struggles but he’s happy because he wishes to do good for society. He works hard to solve a case, nails the culprit and brings him to law. 

Tell us about the chemistry between you and Anant Nag.
Shyam and Muthanna (Anant Nag) start out as strangers and bond only much later in the film. I met Anant sir for the first time on the sets of ‘Kavaludaari’. Initially, I was a bit nervous to walk up to him and introduce myself. But before I realised, we began talking and it was evident that he is someone who makes anybody feel at home. You don’t feel intimidated when you are with him. Our scenes together required some amount of awkwardness and our unfamiliarity helped achieve that.  

Your thoughts about Anant Nag...
Anant sir is not only a brilliant actor but is also an intelligent and knowledgeable person. For him, it is not just about acting out the emotions. He holds a deep interest in various topics. You can talk to him about anything under the sun, be it politics, philosophy, spiritually or cinema. It will be an engaging conversation.   

What did you enjoy most about your character?
We have gone beyond just collecting fines and controlling traffic. We have shot in actual police quarters and at real junctions. What struck me the most about the traffic personnel are the poor working conditions. They have no access to washrooms and no place to have lunch. They do their job and still get criticised by people. This is what have brought out in the script.  

Why should people watch ‘Kavaludaari’?
The engagement with the audience is very high in this film. Visually, we have used shadow play and to score the background, there is symphony orchestra. There’s jazz and a bit of EDM used in the music too. We haven’t done all this to grab attention. All this was designed with the script as the primary source. It is an honest, engaging and an entertaining story.