Don’t want to know why I am loved: Sudeep

On January 31, 1996, Sudeep started his long and successful journey in cinema at the sets of Brahma. “It was the best moment of my life when I first put on make-up,” says the star as he starts the conversation about his 22 years in this industry. CE got on a call with the actor, who is on the sets of The Villain right now.

Is there anything he wants to ‘undo’ in his professional life? “No, I wouldn’t have learnt my lessons otherwise. We should do everything. I don’t think anyone should regret anything. As long as you have not really harmed anyone, I don’t see the need for regrets. And I don’t think I have done any such thing in my life.”

The actor, who has established  himself in south India and Bollywood, says that he is happy that cinema is still a part of his life. “I don’t compare myself with legends or superstars, but with those who couldn’t do much in this field despite coming here with many dreams, and those who had to return defeated. That way, cinema has been good to me, and I want to enjoy it while I can. I don’t plan to drag my time here endlessly, and I don’t think anyone can make plans here. I work on the best scripts that come my way and give the audience what they want to see. I believe in ‘living in the moment’,” he says.

Sudeep admits that he hasn’t forgotten a time when he used to crave for ‘one housefull show’. “Today, I focus on my current film and its release. When it is over, we need to leave it behind and move on,” he adds.

A multifacted personality, he has a long career in acting ahead of him, but people have been waiting for his directorials. Sudeep says that he likes to helm a film not as a ‘director’ but as a lover of cinema.

“There are times when I make such plans and even start on it. Then, my mood changes and I drop it. I don’t place myself in situations I don’t want to be in. Similarly, I don’t force people to do what they don’t like. I have enjoyed direction whenever I have tried it. Having said that, I have decided on a film that I want to direct. There are few things I need to get done before that and I am working on them right now,” says Sudeep, who drops a hint by saying, “By the end of this year, I will probably take a shot at it.”

On his huge fan following, he says that he never understood how he has one, nor why it is growing. “I feel blessed. Frankly speaking, I have done a couple of good films and am reasonably good at acting. But I have not done anything outstanding to stun people,” he says. “I am not a good dancer nor I can fight impressively, but I do a little bit of everything. I am not being modest, but I see many actors doing all of these much better than me. But cinema is not just about performance, there is more to it and I have managed well. I guess my fans see something that I don’t, and I don’t want to know the reason. I want to sail along with it,” he adds.

He says there is no role that he is dying to get. “Scripts and characters keep coming and going, this is part and parcel of our cinema life. People expect me to be an inspiration and I am trying to be the person they want me to be. But in the end, I am only human. My family, peers, colleagues, fans, friends or mediapersons, who look up to me with such respect today... to all of them, I want to say that I’ll try not to disappoint anyone.”