Exclusive! Actor Sudhakar Komakula on playing a cop in his next release Raja Vikramarka

Life is Beautiful actor Sudhakar Komakula commenced 2021 with a bang, thanks to a brief yet effective cameo as a happy-go-lucky police constable in Ravi Teja's Sankranti blockbuster Krack. The role did a lot of good in helping him widen his horizons as an actor. Sudhakar, now, has a promising lineup of films awaiting release in the coming months, of which the action-comedy Raja Vikramarka will be the first to hit theatres. The film helmed by the first-time director Sri Saripalli also stars Karthikeya, Tanya Ravichandran, Tanikella Bharani, Pasupathy, Harsha Vardhan and Sai Kumar in pivotal roles.

Sharing his excitement on being part of the film, the actor states, "In Krack, I was this happy, spirited constable with a heart of gold. I play a cop in Raja Vikramarka too, but here I'm an ACP who doesn't even bother to smile even once. It is a full-length role that I'm immensely proud of. The film has been in the making for nearly two years but miraculously, the entire team had the same enthusiasm for it throughout the shoot. Every actor seeks opportunities to work with stalwarts like Pasupathy, Sai Kumar, Tanikella Bharani garu and this experience was a dream come true. Pasupathy garu's organic approach to acting was an eye-opener."

However, it has been nothing short of a challenge for the actor to sustain his look for the film over two years. "It's tough to maintain the same physique and stay in the same zone of a character, its psychology for such a long span. Such was the faith I had in the film that I didn't regret giving up other offers that demanded me to alter my look. A career in films is all about making wise choices and I am glad I held onto Raja Vikramarka. The film has an ensemble cast and the beauty of it is that each of the characters is so uniquely etched, providing actors ample scope to perform," he adds.

Sudhakar holds Raja Vikramarka close to his heart because of the warm rapport he shares with the director Sri Saripalli. "I and Sri have known each other for ten years now. He comes with an MFA from the US, is very well-versed with world cinema and has hands-on experience with the craft, assisting a mainstream director like VV Vinayak. Action comedy is a rarely explored genre in Telugu cinema and Sri is sure to make a mark with Raja Vikramarka, from his choice of actors to locations to dialogues and his subtlety with humour. He isn't only a good writer but also a terrific administrator at work and is very clear, precise with his instructions. He shoots only what he requires and has the script imprinted in his head."

Filmmaking is teamwork and it's because of Raja Vikramarka's team that Sudhakar is so optimistic about its fortunes. "You know the vibe of the film while you make it and that's why I'm confident about it. Raja Vikramarka happened because of producers who are very passionate about cinema and gave the film the scale it truly deserved. The cinematographer PC Mouli, editor Jesvin Prabu, composer Prashanth R Vihari made for a solid technical crew. Karthikeya has fit the part of a cheeky, witty agent so well. I think he's done a terrific job at balancing the suspense, action and humour elements in the story. I'm waiting to catch the film in theatres," he signs off.

Also read: Raja Vikramarka teaser - Karthikeya turns an NIA officer in this wacky action comedy