In a wide-ranging conversation with Karnataka Today’s / Newskarnataka.com’s Cindrella Daryani, Sonu Sood shares his excitement of working in Kannada films. He says that it was nostalgic for him to live the character of Arjuna in front of a camera, a role he played as a kid with his schoolmates. Read on…
The year 2019, seems to have brought with it a breath of fresh air for the Sandalwood audience. Kannada filmmakers are coming up with ingenious storylines and are now especially concentrating on period drama films. This genre has achieved incredible nationwide popularity and regional cinema-goers accept it too. As a consequence, it has opened the doors for the filmmakers to ride this wagon onwards to the end.
Munirathna’s magnum opus Kurukshetra, a historical epic drama is one of the most anticipated movies of the Kannada film industry. The film is a rendition of the Mahabharata. Kurukshetra boasts a stellar cast including industry’s key players Ambreesh, V. Ravichandran, Sonu Sood, Darshan, Sneha, Hariprriya, Srinath, etc. Its tentative release date is August 2. The film is planned for release in 2D and 3D formats in five major languages, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and Malayalam.
The Mahabharata battle was fought for 18 days in the Kurukshetra region, which is also known as the land of righteousness. The battle was fought between the two groups of cousins Kauravas and Pandavas. When it comes to Mahabharata war, the character of a valiant warrior Arjuna leads the way as the top protagonist, whose charioteer was Lord Krishna himself.
In Muniratna’s periodic film Kurukshetra, fitness influencer Sonu Sood plays the character of Arjuna, which is one of his favorite characters in the Mahabharata. After marking a remarkable journey in the Telugu and Tamil films, he debuted in sandalwood in a Kannada film, Vishnuwardhana in 2011, which was a smash-hit at the box office. His timely entry into the Kannada film industry worked as an icing on the cake for the industry.
The feature story also unfolds the fitness fervor of this fitness celebrity whose fans go gaga over his gym selfies, snaps and videos, which he proudly posts on Instagram. His well-sculpted physique, bulky biceps, gritty muscles, tangible blocks of abs are proof that this can only come from decades of hard work.
Excerpts from Cindrella’s conversation with Sonu Sood
How difficult was it to play the character of a warrior, especially in a regional language?
Definitely, it was tough to play this epic character in a regional language, especially while portraying the emotions. Besides, Arjuna’s character is close to my heart, so there was a natural excitement within me during the shoot. Also, I have worked in several multi-lingual projects in all these years, so it was pretty manageable too.
Kurukshetra is your second Kannada film project. What are your further plans in the Kannada film industry?
I am delighted that this is my second Kannada project. I think I can connect to the Kannada audience. My first film Vishnuwardha was a big hit. I wish Kurukshetra too, breaks all the records and I am keeping my fingers crossed. I am listening to some new scripts, which are very classy, new, and challenging. If one or more than one of them fit the bill, then certainly I will do something about taking them on.
How has your journey been in the South Film industry? Challenging I would guess…
I learned the craft of cinema while working in Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada. I always say that those were my school years. I am really grateful to all of my south Indian audiences who accepted and loved my work. Definitely, their love was my motivation, which gives me a boost to work hard and achieve my goals.
I believe that you are all set to produce a biopic on ace badminton player PV Sindhu. What preparations are going on this project? Also, what sort of challenge do you face when you’re producing a film?
I am quite excited to start this film. We have completed the final draft and now pre-production preparations are going on. Hopefully, we will be able to lock-in the cast soon.
It’s a huge responsibility to produce a film. Everything comes onto your shoulder. Primarily you have to make sure to draft in the right team. You have to work the details minutely and ensure that all the technical departments are in place and functioning like well-oiled cogwheels. So there are certain challenges and you have to be ready for them.
You are a fitness enthusiast. How do you handle your diet when you’re shooting constantly?
Whenever I shoot or when I’m traveling on work or for a vacation, I make sure that I eat healthy. Besides, my fitness rule is to respect your body. The body is just not made in a gym, for that you have to eat right that will keep you fit all your life. I exercise regularly. I thoroughly enjoy it think that keeps me fit.
What are the do’s and don’ts that you would you like to share for the benefit of fitness enthusiasts out there?
Before commencing a workout, people must understand the gym equipment they will be using. Sometimes eagerness and carelessness towards gym equipment can injure them for a lifetime. They must warm-up and include sweating exercises and cool down after your exercise. Also, you can make your workout interesting by adding some variation in its schedule and doing a lot of functional running, play a sport, and/or try some heavyweights.
Vegetarians are often advised to take food supplements, tablets or protein powder to build up their musculature. Are they necessary?
I am a vegetarian and have been one all my life. I can assure you that what you eat does not define your physique. Yes, there may be a few limitations, but protein and calcium and all other required nutrition is very much available in a vegetarian diet. However, they must exercise regularly and religiously. It may take some time, but slow and steady wins a race. People should avoid taking any steroids or any kind of shortcuts. People can consume protein powders; they aren’t harmful if it’s a proper product and the right brand.
