Vijay Raghavendra: I want my work to do the talking

National award-winning actor, Vijay Raghavendra, who is popularly known as Chinaari Mutha, will next be seen in Seetharam Benoy - Cast No. 18 which marks his 50th movie in his acting career. Interestingly, this investigative thriller, written and directed by Devi Prasad Shetty, will first have a world premiere on the Suvarna channel on August 15, and then the film will hit theatres the next day. An intriguing trailer of the film, which was released recently, on PRK Audio received an overwhelming response. It has also left the audience excited to see the acclaimed actor in a cop avatar.

In an interview with CE, the actor opens up about touching this significant milestone in his film journey. He also shares the importance of the film in his career that is releasing in the current pandemic situation. “For an entertainer, reaching the masses is the main priority, and I have worked out a strategy to do that. Moreover, the Seetharam Benoy team wants to give value to my 50th film, which is a big deal. We hope our film reaches a good sect of viewers. Whoever misses out on the small-screen release, can watch it in theatres from the next day,” he says.

According to the actor, Seetharam Benoy, shot just after the first lockdown in a short span of 21 days, is a no-nonsense crime investigation thriller. “It is about an inspector, who keeps getting transferred from one place to another. This hurts his life. How he breaks the pattern forms the crux of the story,” says Vijay. “Seetharam Benoy is an original film. It is neither a remake nor inspired by other films,” he asserts.

When asked how special Seetharam Benoy.. is for him, Vijay says, “50th film for any other actor is a great deal. However, for me, who has always taken life as it comes, and as someone who has faced more challenges in the past two decades, I want all my work to speak and not just my 50th film.”

Vijay has successfully endured two decades as a hero. Does he feel he is in a better place today? “Yes, I am. Especially after my previous film, Malgudi Days. For a while, my films turned out to be cliched, and I was aware of it as well. I consciously picked up those subjects as I had to keep my career going. I didn’t want to wait for only good scripts to come by because not many of them come my way. However, I knew playing a character like Seetharam Benoy, I could push myself more,” he says.

Talking more about his role in Seetharam Benoy, Vijay says that he has taken inspiration from his father-in-law DK Shivaram, a retired commissioner. “I didn’t go by his story or experience. I just took tips on the characters and behaviour of such people, and I blended them with my character. This was my only homework, and it was satisfying.”

The film jointly produced by Devi Prasad Shetty, Sathwik Hebbar,  and MRP also stars Akshatha, Nagaraj, and Shreeharsha Ninasam, in prominent roles. The film has Gagan Baderiya scoring music and Hemanth as the cinematographer.