EXCLUSIVE: Prithviraj Sukumaran talks about Salaar’s success; also says, “I have neither watched Dunki nor Salaar! I am a big fan of Rajkumar Hirani and Shah Rukh Khan sir. I am very happy that both the films are doing well”

Prithviraj Sukumaran rocked the show with his performance of Varda in Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire. His bonding with Prabhas was one of the strengths of the film and the dashing, talented actor spoke about the film’s success and a lot more in an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama.

How has been the feedback for Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire? You must be flooded with messages and DMs! (Smiles). I am. I am elated with how Salaar has been received. It’s heartening that the film has resonated equally well with people all over the country. That’s what our intention was. Full credit goes to Hombale Films, Prashanth Neel, Prabhas and the whole team. I have had the privilege of enjoying lots of successes and failures in cinema. But this feels special because I am getting calls and messages from people from different industries. Each one of them spoke to me as if they had seen a film from their own industry!

Salaar must have been your biggest release in terms of reach… Indeed. It was also the biggest release in terms of scale and as you said, how widely it was distributed and the magnitude of the release. It’s a dream for any artist for their work to be showcased and celebrated in such a fashion. I hope this is the beginning of a lot of new good things to come.

How are the team of Hombale Films, Prashanth Neel Prabhas reacting? Are they happy with the feedback? Oh yes. I have worked very closely with Hombale Films. I am also directing a film for them. And yes, Prabhas and others are very happy with the reaction. Prashanth is the kind of guy who is unaware of what the film has done! Even during KGF, he pretty much behaved the same way. But I am sure he’s also very happy. To see all our hard work and efforts bore fruit is truly gratifying.

Did you get a chance to see Salaar in theatres? I am in Kerala right now. It’s not easy for me to go and watch the film in theatres here.

I request you to come to Mumbai and experience the madness in Gaiety-Galaxy. Maybe, you can do so for Salaar’s sequel… I agree. Salaar is a film that you have to watch with a big crowd. I’d love to do that. Going by how things are and assuming that Salaar is going to run with packed houses for a few weeks more, I am hoping I get a chance to see the film in a sold-out show.

Your character Varda doesn’t do any action for most part of the film, leaving many to assume that he’ll not beat up baddies. But in the climax, he goes all out. Was it intentional to keep the best for the last? Prashanth had this deliberate design in mind to keep giving hints about how deep the bond between Varda and Deva is. So finally when they join hands, you know how deadly a force they can be collectively. Let’s just say that the climax portion of Salaar is just a hint of what is going to come in part 2.

At times, scenes are written well on paper but they don’t translate the same way on celluloid. But the ‘Yaa Yaa’ scene went to another level on celluloid. Also, the way you kept your eyes shut added to the effect… When Prashanth narrates the film to you, he also tells you his vision. Prashanth had a clear vision for that fight sequence. Like I am closing my eyes while everyone else opens when Deva walks ahead. It’s like, ‘Everyone else will want to see what is going to happen. You (Varda) are the only ones who knows what is going to happen and is thinking, I don’t want to see it’. He got this aspect so well in his writing and execution. Plus, he’s also a spectacular technician. He has this amazing sense of style which he neatly incorporates into the drama. Prashanth’s imagination is boundless.

On a lighter note, it is often joked that Prashanth Neel doesn’t like lights as the visual tone of the film is quite dark. Your thoughts? (Laughs) Som Prashant doesn’t like too many colours and prefers monochrome, high contrast and shadows. I understand that a lot of people are saying that ‘Salaar looks a lot similar to KGF’ in terms of styling and cinematography. But I know for a fact that Prashanth always wanted a particular look in Salaar. And Salaar was written before KGF. He preferred the black dust and the texture on the clothes to create a world where probably the most colourful thing is the blood! He always had that in his mind. Nevertheless, the styling, the colour tone, the cinematography, the contrast ratio and the play between shadow and light contribute a lot to what the visuals of Khansaar make you feel. The styling is very much part of the writing. Hats off to Prashanth for imagining how the world would look like. It’s entirely fictional and created in his mind. It’s akin to J R R Tolkien creating the whole world of The Lord Of The Rings. He imagined what the place would be, what the politics of the place would be, how that place is ruled, the hierarchy, dynamics between players etc. A whole lot of effort has gone into conceiving the world. Part of that effort is also the style and the feel; like how do you feel when you look at the screen and see Khansaar? Prashanth, more than anyone else, would have known that comparisons are bound to happen. He still chose to go with this styling for Salaar.

????????????… ????????????… ????????????… ????????????…. Experience the biggest action entertainer, #SalaarCeaseFire in cinemas near you!

Here’s the Hindi promo... https://ift.tt/KuIZJpl #RecordBreakingSalaar #SalaarRulingBoxOffice #Salaar #Prabhas #PrashanthNeel… pic.twitter.com/hoTGpQf50w

— Hombale Films (@hombalefilms) December 27, 2023

Which was the most difficult scene for you? The entire climax action sequence was challenging. We were shooting in December when Hyderabad can get quite cold during the night. You have to wear a woollen jacket. And Prabhas and I were drenched in blood. The fake blood, which we use in films, feels very cold. At 1 or 2 am, Prabhas and I would sit in front of the fire. And it was not just for one night. The shoot took place for many nights. Now that you have seen the film, you know that the people whom we fight against have to behave in a particular way for some reason. They couldn’t be very exact with their movements. They had to act like they were completely out of control. That made it quite challenging.

Did you get the chance to see Dunki? I have neither watched Dunki nor Salaar! I have been shooting continuously. I am really looking forward to watching both movies. I am a big fan of Rajkumar Hirani and Shah Rukh Khan sir. I am very happy that both the films are doing well.

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Prithviraj Sukumaran reveals Prabhas checked on him everyday on the sets of Salaar: “He would ask, ‘Shall I send some food? Are you okay?’”