'For Telugu audience, Kurukshetram will be a refreshing watch'

Arjun Sarja is known for portraying action roles, and a majority of them that presented him as a cop are runaway hits. Once again, the 54-year-old actor has stepped into the shoes of a tough cop from the CB-CID wing in action-thriller Kurukshetram, the dubbed version of successful Tamil-Kannada bilingual Nibunan directed by Arun Vaidyanathan. While the original version was released in July 2017, its dubbed version is slated for release on September 13 in Telugu.

Arun says the film has a universal theme and is confident that the audience will feel the excitement as they watch the narration unfold. “The story of Kurukshetram has the potential to appeal to audiences across languages. We have given a different perspective on the thriller format and I’m sure the narration is going to be really fascinating. I know that Telugu audience always roots for good cinema and I felt they should get to watch this film marked by technical finesse and rich production values,” says Arun.  

The director says he did in-depth research and also interacted with several cops in Tamil Nadu to understand their orientation towards crisis, risk-taking and conflict resolutions in a crime scene to make the story realistic. “I wanted to gain first-hand knowledge of their work culture and met many real cops who are working every day and have been handling various (crime) cases. It was a great way to understand their lives. Contrary to common belief, cops don’t get angry or frustrated while investigating a crime scene. Instead, they have a cheerful bonhomie at work, get into funny conversations, spill each other’s secrets and pull each other’s legs in the midst of these proceedings. I have tried to incorporate all these aspects to the best of my understanding in this film,” he explains. 

Arun is content with the response to the promos of Kurukshetram and asserts that the audience are eager to see Arjun in action. “Arjun sir is popular in the Telugu states and some of his previous films ran for over 100 days here. Besides his trademark action sequences, the film also focuses on his acting talent. Moreover, well-made dubbing films always worked wonders at the Tollywood box office. Ahead of the release, I want to relish all these positive vibes and I'm waiting to see the audience response this Thursday,” he says. 

The dubbed version has a few changes in the story and the makers have trimmed it by six minutes. “We have made the narration sharp and we reshot a couple of scenes – a family sequence in the first hour and the climax portion. I felt the climax could have been better and hence, I’ve tweaked it. I’m sure it’s going to take everyone by surprise. For Telugu audience, Kurukshetram will be a refreshing watch. For those who have watched the original, it can be of interest to see how a couple of scenes are told in a different context,” shares Arun.

So, is he planning a sequel to Kurukshetram? “I really want to make its sequel with Arjun sir, but I don’t know if it will happen. When it’s made, I’m sure that he will be the happiest person.” 

The Indian-American director is going to make his directorial debut in Hindi soon. “I will be directing my next film in Bollywood. I have finished the script and all I can say is that it’s going to be an exciting subject. A leading Bollywood actor is evincing interest to be a part of that film. Things are falling in place as we speak. But now, I need to wait and see how the audience reacts to Kurukshetram. I’m hoping to get some love from the Telugu audience,” signs off Arun.