Actor Nivetha Pethuraj dons the khakhi in her upcoming Sankranthi release, Red. A remake of acclaimed Tamil film Thadam, the Telugu version has Ram in a dual role and is directed by Kishore Tirumala. 

The Mental Madhilo actor is excited about playing a police officer. "I will be seen as an upright cop in Red, with a straight, serious face and never cracking a smile. However, the character doesn't require me to perform action sequences, and compared to the original, I got a full-length role of substance," says Nivetha. 

On working with Kishore Tirumala, she says, "Red is my second film with Kishore Tirumala. The minute he offered me this role on the sets of Chitralahari, I decided I'd work in this film. I was impressed not just with the way Kishore has his stuff worked out, but pleased with the conviction and clarity he had on this script. I am also confident of his directorial abilities and so agreed to be on board," says Nivetha. 

The 29-year-old actor is particular that her character has an originality. "I haven't watched Thadam entirely and watched only one scene because I don't want to be influenced by it," adds Nivetha. 

Nivetha is quite confident about the film's outcome. "I am not feeling nervous. In fact, I am confident about the success of Red. My last release, Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, struck gold at the box office last Sankranthi, and I hope there's a repeat of that for me this year."