Rip-roaring radical star

Challenges notwithstanding, Sriimurali has emerged as one of the most bankable stars in Sandalwood, writes A Varsha Rao

Sriimurali is probably one of the few actors whose on-screen avatar matches his real-life personality perfectly. Sitting in the airy balcony of his plush apartment, he looks cool, casual and confident. His story, just like the hero he plays in his movies, is a compelling one with many trials and tribulations, dejections, failures, and drama. However, just like how every hero overcomes challenges and emerges victorious in the end, Sriimurali, too, has emerged as one of the most bankable stars in Sandalwood.

Sriimurali began his career with Chandra Chakori in 2003 with absolutely no knowledge of acting. “I didn’t know the ABC of acting. But my director, S Narayan, who I still call my guru, guided me. I only knew that I was hungry for acceptance. I wanted to make a mark in the industry,” he states.

He also admits he’s not a natural actor. “I prepare a lot for every role. I believe nothing comes easy to anyone,” he explains, but not before adding, “But I love my profession. It keeps me young, active and busy.”

Sriimurali managed to back a successful debut with an equally laudable movie, Kanti. At just 24, he took home the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor. But, life after Kanti (2004) wasn’t easy with 14 of his films flopping in a row. What kept him going? I ask. Taking a long, thoughtful pause, Sriimurali says that it is a difficult question because it makes him revisit his difficult past. “Of all those 14 films, only one ran for 50 days. But I never understood why it was happening. I didn’t have any back-up plan either. But thankfully, in 2008, I began working on an idea with my team that would change my fortunes forever. And you might know that idea by the name of Ugramm,” Sriimurali explains.

Ugramm was a trend-setting gangster drama that made one man rise like a phoenix from the ashes - Sriimurali, and another establish his identity in the film industry - Prashanth Neel.

As it had been a long time since he had seen a film of his working, Sriimurali couldn’t believe that Ugramm was an outstanding success. “I like to believe that with all the movies after Kanti, I was setting the stage for Ugramm. Prashanth, the director of the movie and also my brother-in-law, created that role just for me. I also came to a very important realisation: an actor alone can’t make a movie work. He needs the backing of a solid team,” states Sriimurali.

Ugramm, Sriimurali says, made him a better actor and person. He also admits it gave him a sense of balance. And he uses this sense of balance to choose his upcoming projects. One such project is Bharaate. “Bharaate is in a genre of its own. I will play a boy-next-door in this movie which is a complete family entertainer. It’s quite a shift for me as an actor. First three days of the shoot, I didn’t know what I was doing. And adding to that, we were shooting in the intense heat of Rajasthan,” he says.

For an actor who’s known for his thrillers, the fear of being typecast seems natural. But that’s not the case for Sriimurali. “I had that fear earlier, but not anymore. I, along with my team, ensure that I take on different genres and roles with every film. I feel an actor shouldn’t stick to any one kind of role, especially if you have bigger plans in the industry.” Do the bigger plans involve becoming the No 1 superstar, I ask, and he immediately says, “No, nothing like that. My bigger plans only involve sustaining in the industry for as long as I can.”

Sriimurali wants the audience to see him in as many avatars as possible. “I am open to every kind of role and genre: mythology, drama, romance, action, thriller, history. My personal favourite, though, is history. All I want is a good script that is worth my time and effort,” he says, before stressing, “I value my time and sweat!”

This 37-year-old actor believes there are no barriers when it comes to cinema. “No matter where you come from: Bollywood, Hollywood, Sandalwood, we all speak one language: cinema. And a good quality film is watched worldwide. Look at KGF and the kind of success it has achieved across the country,” he says.

When I point out the problem of plenty with Amazon and Netflix infiltrating people’s living rooms, Sriimurali reiterates his point about quality work. “Tell me, why does anyone watch Netflix or Amazon? Only because the content is good. That’s the case with cinema, too. A good movie is welcomed by everybody. When Sairat, a regional film, can be watched by the entire nation, doesn’t that prove language isn’t a barrier anymore?” Sriimurali asks.

After Bharaate, this ‘roaring star’ will be working on Madagaja with director Mahesh Kumar (of Ayogya fame). Of course, he’s also interested in the sequel to Ugramm, Ugramm Veeram.

We come to the end of our conversation and I ask about the roaring star’s future plans. Will he still be roaring? “I don’t know, let’s wait and watch, shall we?” signs off Sriimurali.