I always wish to be a part of experimental films: Puneeth Rajkumar

Puneeth Rajkumar just doesn’t seem to age. The actor, who turns a year older tomorrow (March 17), seems to be quite enjoying playing a college student in Santhosh Ananddram’s Yuvarathnaa. “I just had a fantastic experience shooting at a university in Mangaluru and an equally amazing experience shooting at a college at Dharward. Getting into the role of a college student took me back in time,” he says. 

An actor who goes with the flow, the Powerstar is glad to have been part of good subjects off late. In addition, his production responsibilities have kept him on his toes. Now, looking ahead, Puneeth plans to make more films under the Vajreshwari banner and PRK (Parvathamma Rajkumar) productions. Kavaludaari, directed by Hemanth M Rao, will be PRK’s first venture, the release of which he is looking forward to.  

“Though I am not new to production, as it was part of my growing years, I have come to realise that the creative process constantly evolves. What has probably remained a constant is acting and performance. The form of the business keeps varying. Right now, there is a great market for our films. I am focusing on production to bring out the kind of films that I always had in mind,” says Puneeth, who reveals to us that the first spark of starting PRK came with Hemanth’s script. “I had known Hemanth (who made his debut with Godhi Banna Sadharna Mykattu) very well. He had come up with a subject called Kavaludaari, the story of which he explained to me. We gave him a free hand to take the film forward. My wife (Ashwini) also got involved as a producer in this film. We started a banner under my mother’s name (PRK) as I thought it the best way to keep her memory alive,” he says, adding, “Whether it is acting or production, I am always looking to experiment with unique subjects.”

Puneeth is overwhelmed by his fans' appreciation, especially for his latest film, Natasaarvabhowma by Pavan Wadyer. While Yuvarathnaa is what he wants to focus on now, he has also been in talks with other filmmakers on starting other projects. His next will be James but he is waiting for the final script to be ready before making any kind of an official announcement. “I don't want to talk about any project of mine unless everything is planned,” he says.