I could connect with my character’s conflict in Kavaludaari: Rishi

He stole everyone’s heart as the lovable Purmy in Operation Alamelamma, but in his next, Kavaludaari, Rishi takes on a role that is poles apart from his 2017 film — that of a conflicted traffic cop SK Shyam. As the film releases this week, Rishi talks to us about the many layers he had to explore as Shyam, why he goes beyond the character sketch, and working with the Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu dream team — director Hemanth M Rao and veteran actor Anant Nag.
Was Godhi… the reason you wanted to work on this film?
I met Hemanth for the first time much before Godhi…, when he was auditioning actors for another project. I figured out then itself that he is a very sensible person and was sure that whatever film he made in the future would be very interesting. He proved that with Godhi… Hemanth had told me that if he writes the role of a cop, he would want to cast me for it. After the Operation Alamelamma teaser came out, he called me and I was onboard for Kavaludaari.
Purmy and Shyam seem to be very different from each other…
They are poles apart. Operation Alamelamma was about entertaining people, so the approach I took as an actor was a mixed bag. But in Kavaludaari, the challenge was to be as rooted and honest to the character as possible, and not step out of it for even a moment. Hemanth had told me that there are many layers to Shyam, and that he doesn’t speak much, but is always thinking and figuring out what’s happening. Shyam also has personal conflicts, and I personally find struggle to be an inspiration. I’m an engineer, but wanted to be an actor, so I could connect with Shyam’s conflict, because he wanted to be in crime investigation, but got posted in traffic. So, he’s always battling that conflict. Hemanth wanted to explore the emotional side of policemen — not just show how strong they are, but also expose their vulnerabilities. He didn’t want me to be a filmy cop, who is macho and can beat up 50 guys. He wanted me to look like a cop that you normally see on the streets. So, I had to add my own perspective into it as an actor and find more details to my character, like where he was born, what school he went to and what his parents did. The audience will not see all of this onscreen, but these details are important to portray the character.
Working with Anant Nag must have been a different experience for you…
You know, I wasn’t intimidated by him at all. Within minutes of meeting him on the day of the muhurata, there was no ice left to break. I hadn’t met him before that day, but the way he spoke to me and greeted me was very warm. It felt like I was working with a colleague my age. I was very excited and there was no nervousness on the first day of shoot. I had one of the best actors in the country as my co-actor, which meant that I could just freak out. I didn’t have to do much. I knew that if I just take some material from what he does, I might also end up looking good onscreen. Despite his experience, he doesn’t give suggestions on the skills of an actor, but is constantly thinking about the scene. We call him a genius, but I think that the secret of being a genius is to carry the spirit of a child within you and not lose enthusiasm, no matter what. He’s been in the film industry for over four decades, but when you see him onscreen, he’s very fresh. I had a lot to learn from him.
What was it like working with an avant-garde filmmaker like Hemanth?
One thing that Hemanth had told me even before starting this film was that he did not want to repeat anything that he had done with Godhi… During the shoot of Kavaludaari, whenever Hemanth thought that a shot was even remotely close to what he did in Godhi…, he would immediately change it, even if it looked good. He was challenging himself and competing with this own thoughts. He is not only a good director, but a very good human being. He is always very kind and sensitive to his actors, and truly values artistes.