Prajwal Devaraj: I wanted to do only cop roles when I turned hero 

The actor talks about his upcoming film, Inspector Vikram, his love for donning the khaki, getting inspired by his father, and more
Prajwal Devaraj: I wanted to do only cop roles when I turned hero 

Prajwal Devaraj is all set to pack a punch this week as Inspector Vikram. The Gentleman hero, who had previously appeared briefly as a policeman in Kote, will now be seen in a full-fledged cop role in Inspector Vikram, directed by debutant Narasimha. Ahead of the film’s release on Friday, Prajwal says he always wanted to step into the khaki uniform often donned by his father, actor Devaraj.

Recalling his childhood days, the actor says he always saw a hero in his father, who was popular for playing a policeman in his films. “Back then, a lot of films featured my father as an inspector, and people loved him that way. There were times when we saw people saluting my father, and I have heard some people say that they took up a policeman’s job after watching his films. All this made me feel a strange connection with the khaki uniform when I was growing up. I also thought that if I became a hero, I would only do cop roles. However, after I joined the film industry, I started doing different roles. Though it was perhaps not that apparent when I did Kote, my attraction towards police characters grew strong during the dubbing of Inspector Vikram,” he says.

Prajwal was also required to tap into his comedy side in this film, and he feels exploring the humour side of a stern police officer was a unique experience. He confesses that it felt strange bringing in shades of both frivolousness and discipline to his character. “A few directors did try to bring out the comedy timing in me in bits and pieces, and the audience saw that in Bhadra and Meravanige, among other films. But the humour in those wasn’t in a full-fledged form as it is now in Inspector Vikram. Having said that, irrespective of the character I play, I make sure that I bring in some humour in the characters I play. Narasimha has tapped this talent of mine very well, and it was fun while dubbing. This film has me talking a lot and delivering over-the-top dialogues. This was the director’s vision, and I am confident people will like it,” he reveals.

The film shows the character in many dimensions, says Prajwal, adding the audience will find it worth the wait. “The trailer and teasers just give the outline of the characters and the technical strength of Anoop Seelin’s music and Naveen Kumar’s camerawork. The content is yet to be seen fully. Behind the humour, there is a tough side of Vikram, which will be seen on the silver screen,” he says.

Inspector Vikram has Prajwal sharing screen space for the first time with actors Bhavana and Raghu Mukherjee. “I had suggested Raghu’s name during our discussion for the cast, as I felt that he would be apt for the role of the antagonist,” discloses Prajwal, adding that Bhavana was fun to work with. He also felt comfortable working with Darshan, who will be seen in a special appearance. “I have previously appeared in a song and a couple of scenes in some films with Darshan, and I am extremely comfortable acting with him. For this film, Narasimha has sensibly brought out the bonding we share offscreen to the screen, and it will be a treat to the fans.”

Talking about how Inspector Vikram will cater to different kinds of audiences, Prajwal says, “Children will like the humour side and my dancing. Adults will like my sensibilities and acting. So we will be catering to everybody with this film,” he says.

Inspector Vikram will be one of the first Kannada films to be released amid the coronavirus outbreak. Emphasising that good entertainment will always have the audience coming to theatres, Prajwal says, “I am confident that Inspector Vikram will attract movie lovers.”

Related Stories

No stories found.
Cinema Express
www.cinemaexpress.com