Mark actor Sudeep on sequels: Not every story has scope for an extension

Mark actor Sudeep on sequels: Sudeep has done a sequel in the past, but he has reservations about revisiting a character unless there's an organic progression to the story. He explains...

Kiccha Sudeep in Mark

Kannada superstar Kiccha Sudeep is not a fan of the franchise model; he’s been-there-done-that with Kotigobba 2 and 3, and is not averse to revisiting his character Vikrant Rona if there is a prequel. But by and large, the Mark actor prefers to move on to new and exciting roles. Sudeep has been promoting his next release, Mark, which hits theatres on December 25 and was asked if he was ever tempted to follow the franchise format – a valid question, given that director Vijay Kartikeyaa was keen on doing Max 2.

Kiccha Sudeep: For me, a second one is a problem

“I firmly believe that you should study one class only once, and move to the next, bigger one,” says Sudeep in conversation with Galatta Plus, adding, “If there is a possibility of a sequel, it is entirely up to the film team to decide; a couple of them have been very successful. But then I don’t know if it is okay to be more ambitious about it. Not every story has an extension. Sometimes, a writer maybe able to pull off another one; a third one will get you into trouble. For me, second only is problem. I don’t know if I am ready to go and put on the same makeup and relive that character. You are done with it; there are so many other beautiful characters. You should move on to the next one.”

Also read: Mark 2025: Release date, trailer, plot, cast and crew, OTT partner; everything to know about Kiccha Sudeep’s cop thriller

As for Vikrant Rona, a film that Sudeep is proud of, despite its far from satisfactory box office performance, the actor says that he doesn’t think it has the scope for a sequel. A prequel, perhaps, he reckons, adding that there is no future for the character after he leaves Kamarottu, with his wife in hospital. “It’s not like KGF or Pushpa, where you can take the character arc and build on it. If we do a prequel, there maybe a story,” he says.

Interestingly, for the longest time, it was thought that Mark was actually the script that Vijay had written as Max 2, but had to be rebranded, after Sudeep and producer Thanu, allegedly, had a falling out. Mark has the look and feel of Max, a suspended cop on a mission, but both actor and director have vehemently claimed that it is a totally different character. The film features a vast ensemble cast, including Naveen Chandra, Yogi Babu, Shine Tom Chacko, Guru Somasundaram, Vikranth, Roshni Prakash, Dev Gill, Arul Dass, Archana Kottige, Deepshikha, among others.

Also read: Mark on OTT: Kiccha Sudeep’s action-packed cop thriller headed to THIS platform after theatrical run?

Mark the movie FAQs

Q. Is Mark the Max sequel?

A. There have been rumours that director Vijay Kartikeyaa rebranded the script for Max 2 as Mark, but the filmmaker has negated this, stating that the nuances of the character in Mark are very different from Max's Arjun Mahakshay.

Q. Who all are on the vast cast of Mark?

A. Mark stars Kiccha Sudeep, Guru Somasundaram, Naveen Chandra, Vikranth, Yogi Babu, Shine Tom Chacko, Gopalkrishna Deshpande, Mahantesh Hiremath, Dragon Manju, Roshni Prakash, Archana Kottige, Deepshika, among others.

Q. Where can one watch Mark?

A. Mark is set for theatrical release on December 25, 2025. There is no official update on the film's OTT partner and tentative streaming date yet, but the buzz is that JioHotstar has acquired the rights.

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