Sarath Appani talks about his character-driven roles in Bernard and Chaaram

Appani Sarath has in his kitty two “exciting” films, Bernard and Chaaram, which will enable him to bring to the screen his background and skills as a theatre artiste. The actor, who is known for his gritty roles, speaks about the projects.
Tell us about Bernard, which you called a "much-anticipated project".
I feel this is a film that would have an international feel.Also, coming from a theatre background, I think I will be able to use the elements from theatre in this. The film is a journey through the life of the titular character of Bernandous, from his teenage years to mid-life. It is an experimental film. The character passes through various emotional phases that are not explored in commercial cinema. It is only through the performance, rather than makeup or attire, that we see him pass through the different stages of life. I feel very safe in the hands of director Devaprasad Narayan, who I feel will bring out my skills. He asked me to come to the shoot with a fresh mind, and no preconceived notions.

When will the shoot start?
The shoot was supposed to start last month, but because of the pandemic protocols, it has been delayed. We will be shooting in a single space; it will be done in Kollam. This is a film that will also use the talents of the technical crew. There are not many characters in the film; it is almost like a one-act play.
How did you develop the story of Chaaram, which you have written?
Chaaram is a story that has been in my head for many years. It is based on an incident I witnessed in the life of an acquaintance from my childhood. I first presented this for an improvisation session when I was a drama student. It was an emotional story and was much appreciated then.
It’s an interesting story that I have always wanted to develop, but didn’t do, because I didn’t have the time. But then, fledgling actors like me can end up waiting for long for good characters and opportunities. And I have been keen to do a strong character, so I thought, why not write my own character.
Now you are ready to make the movie?
It is a film that I feel will be commercially viable. It is a road movie and a thriller. I discussed the story of Chaaram with my friend Nithin, who is a cameraman. He liked it and encouraged me to write it and we talked about the frames and so on even as I was writing it, so the pre-production was easy. The story was completed a couple of months back, and the first producer, Jomy Joseph, we approached gave us the go-ahead, and said that we should start work on it right away.