Actor Sunil started his career as a comedian before turning into a lead actor. Later, he returned to comedy and is now successfully playing character roles not just in Telugu, but in several other languages as well. He says Pushpa completely changed his career, and he has received plenty of offers since then, including the upcoming Malayalam film Kattalan. “Frankly speaking, after Pushpa, my life changed completely. I started getting calls from different film industries. That was how I landed Kattalan. After a long time, I got a really good role. Maari in Kattalan is a completely satisfying character for me. The look is unique, and the role itself feels fresh. I am fully satisfied with this character,” says Sunil, adding he is enjoying this phase of his career.
Sharing that Kattalan is one of the multiple films he signed after Pushpa, Sunil says all those films will release one after the other. "I have already completed three films, which are expected to be released one after another soon. All the characters are not only varied but also versatile. As an actor, I am truly enjoying this phase because these are roles I haven’t done before. At the same time, I feel tense, and it pushes me to work harder,” he says.
Heaping praise on producer Shareef and director Paul George for mounting the film on a grand scale. “He is a passionate producer and made this film on a huge budget by Malayalam cinema standards,” he says, adding that Paul George is the exact opposite of the nature of his film. “There are many action episodes and thrilling moments in the film, but the director Paul is a very calm person. Even on the sets, he speaks very mildly."
Sunil describes working with veteran Malayalam actor Jagadish as a memorable learning experience and recalls his admiration for Mohanlal and Mammootty films. “During my college days, I watched many Telugu-dubbed films of Mammootty sir and Mohanlal sir. Jagadish garu appeared in many of those films and even played lead roles in several movies. He is one of the finest actors, and I feel lucky to share screen space with him. I learnt a lot from him," he says, adding that he also tasked Jagadish to guide him with Malayalam diction, which he was kind enough to oblige. “After practising my Malayalam dialogues, I used to ask Jagadish whether my pronunciation was correct, and he would give me useful suggestions. I enjoyed shooting scenes with him."
Sunil also spoke about filming a song under extremely difficult weather conditions. “It was a three-day night song shoot in Vagamon, and it rained almost every hour. We couldn’t shift the shoot to daytime because the song needed a nighttime atmosphere,” says Sunil, as he remembers to praise the super-talented music composer Ajaneesh Loknath. Sunil also describes Ravi Basrur’s background score as “next level.”
Talking about the film’s core plot, Sunil says Kattalan revolves around the illegal ivory trade. “The film is about elephant tusks. According to information I got, a single tusk can cost around Rs 3.5 crore. With that amount, one can easily buy a luxury flat. Ivory is extremely valuable and easy to smuggle. Everything shown in the film is logical and rooted in reality. It is a universal subject that can connect with audiences across languages and countries,” says Sunil.
Kattalan is all set to hit theatres on May 28, and its Telugu version will also release simultaneously.
