Actor Vishwak Sen is looking for a much-needed commercial break, as his last few films failed to perform well at the box office. He is now coming up with the action drama Cult, in which he plays the lead role and has also taken charge of direction.
“Don't take the anxiety, depression and anger into you, as you have to give them to others,” said Vishwak Sen. He added that he decided to make Cult after the failure of his earlier film, Laila.
The actor also apologised to Tazuddin, who was initially announced as the director of Cult. “When the film was launched, we announced Tazuddin garu as the director. But I want to apologise to him because I have taken over the direction. Tazuddin garu is one of my acting gurus, and whenever I have any doubts, I go to him and attend a workshop. I asked him to direct Cult, but once the film started, I decided to direct it myself. So, I want to apologise to my guru,” said Vishwak Sen.
The actor admitted that he had faced a series of flops recently. “The reason behind doing Cult is that I have seen unexpected flops continuously. I always believe my directors blindly, but I never blame them for the failures because we all worked as a team, and there are so many reasons for the failures. When I want to direct a film, I do it directly. Otherwise, I don't do ghost direction and put someone else's name on it,” he said.
Vishwak Sen also explained his decision with an analogy about saving someone from drowning. “I told Tazuddin garu that I should stand on the bank if I want to save someone from drowning. Though I speak and look strong, I was feeling a bit low inside. After Laila, I was dull and sat at home. At that time, my elder brother called me and consoled me. He told me, ‘Your weapon is in your hands.’ That was when I realised that my comeback is in my hands. I have to stand up for my own sake, and no one else will do it for me. That was when I decided to come up with Cult,” said Vishwak Sen, explaining his decision to direct the film.
Vishwak Sen revealed that nearly 150 professional actors participated in the film. “I want to thank each and every one of those 150 professional actors. I want them to grow in their careers and reach greater heights,” he said.
He added that Cult has global appeal and has been dubbed into Japanese and Spanish. “For the first five minutes, the film takes you into another world, and it is an intense drama. The audience will definitely like the drama more than the action. Whenever I experiment with my films, the audience encourages me a lot, and I am confident they will do the same with Cult. This two-hour-and-20-minute film will enthral everyone,” he said.
The trailer shows Vishwak Sen playing DSP Sankalp Nayak, a police officer who is strongly opposed to drugs and refuses to tolerate those who consume them. More than 300 people are trapped inside an isolated estate on an island in Goa. With electric fencing surrounding the property and the main entrance rigged with RDX explosives, escaping appears almost impossible. Their only chance of survival lies in participating in a series of deadly games, where every decision could have fatal consequences. Among those caught in this nightmare is DSP Sankalp Nayak, who must navigate the increasingly dangerous situation as the fight for survival intensifies. The story revolves around the cop and the deadly circumstances he faces.
Gayatri Bharadwaj plays the female lead, while Tarak Ponnappa essays the antagonist. Murali Sharma, Srikanth Iyengar and others appear in key roles. Popular director and actor Tharun Bhascker has penned the dialogues, while Arvind Mule has handled the production design. Aravind Viswanathan is the cinematographer, and Ravi Basrur is the music director. The film is hitting the screens on October 30.