Komal talks about the effort that went into making Kempegowda 2

For any mainstream actor, remaining in the spotlight is imperative as far as career longevity is concerned. Staying away to try something new is a risk that can make or break your career — something that Kannada actor Komal was acutely aware of when he decided to dedicate close to four years into the making of his next, Kempegowda 2. The film, directed by Shankar Gowda, has Komal in a complete makeover — in terms of his physique, as well as onscreen persona. The actor, who was popular for his comedy roles, is a serious cop role in the film that releases this Friday. “When we began working on the subject of this movie, I knew that I needed to give it enough time to get into the skin of the character and to present the story well. There was no way it could be done in a hurry, as there was a lot of travel involved to locations across the country and the world,” he says.His new slimmer avatar, though, was not a byproduct of Kempegowda 2. “A few years ago, I was signed up to play the villain in a Tamil film opposite Bobby Simha. But after only three days on set, I was dropped from the project based on my looks and girth. I was quite disappointed and was determined to bring in a change. That is when I began trying to lose weight,” he says.Around that time, Komal got the subject of Kempegowda 2, and he knew that he had to keep up his physical transformation. “Once I had lost a few kilos, we shot a teaser, the response to which was unprecedented, which gave us the confidence to go ahead with the project. The film deals with online frauds and the story is close to how the political system in Karnataka has been unfolding, including power brokering, and an exploration of who controls politicians, among others. As a cop, I wanted to look and sound different from the popular onscreen police avatars. Real-life cops are more calm and composed at work, as against the larger-than-life imagery we show in movies. I have tried to adopt that,“ explains the actor. Looking back, Komal is proud of what he has done. “The intention was to make a good film with a strong subject. I believe we have achieved that. Kempegowda 2 is my first film that got close to two million views for the trailer, so I hope that support continues. When the film releases, it will be the fulfilment of a four-year dream for me,” he signs off.