Actor Sudhanshu Pandey started his career as a model but soon realised that his true interest lied in acting. Being part of popular movies like ‘Khiladi 420’, ‘Singh Is King’ and ‘Singham’, Sudhanshu has carved a niche for himself.
He has now forayed into the Tamil and Kannada film industries as well. The actor who is currently in the city, shooting for his Kannada debut ‘Kotigobba 2’ with Sudeep, spoke to Surupasree Sarmmah about his next big release 2.0, his Kannada debut and his musical comeback.
What convinced you to take up the project ‘2.0’?
The most important thing for any actor is the kind of characters they have been offered. And at the end of the day, it is always the character that is remembered. The perfect example can be of the movie ‘Sholay’, we still remember ‘Gabbar Singh’, Jai, Veeru and Samba. If a character has the potential to create history or an impact on the audience, no actor would think twice.
What is your character in the movie? What was the biggest challenge you faced?
I play the role of a scientist with a motive. For me, the biggest challenge was that I was acting opposite a legend and to come to terms with such a personality and then matching up to him was a challenge. It was Rajinikanth on one side and my director S Shankar on the other. Shankar is a perfectionist. It is an experience to work with them.
You are currently shooting for the sequel of ‘Kotigobba’, your first Kannada film opposite Sudeep. How has been this experience?
The reason why I said okay to the film was because of my character. This movie has a very different approach to my character. When director K S Ravikumar, narrated the story to me I instantly said yes to it. There is a certain kind of vibe that you get when you know you are in right hands.
You were also a member of ‘A Band Of Boys’ at one point in time, any plans of coming back to the music scene anytime soon?
Yes, in fact, I am releasing my single on May 2. I am very excited at the moment as I am making a comeback after a decade. I hope people will like it. There is a lot of hard work gone into it. I have given almost a year and a half to bring this out.
From being a member of a popular band to acting in Hindi movies and now Tamil and Kannada, how has been your journey so far?
When I am doing so many things, the process itself becomes creatively satisfying. There is so much to learn from the different people I meet and their work. All these really help me as an actor and as a human being. My journey has been very enriching.
How has been your stay in Bengaluru?
The last time I came to Bengaluru was during my band days. My stay here has been good till now. Thank God for the weather, coming from Mumbai, it is so pleasant here.
