Chandan Shetty on Suthradaari: Was sceptical about playing cop as I have a very different image
Chandan Shetty on Suthradaari: Once he made up his mind to be a part of the investigative thriller Suthradaari, Chandan went into rigorous preparation, including fitness, to pull off a police role
Last Updated: 12.59 PM, May 08, 2025
Kannada rapper and composer Chandan Shetty has a fun-loving party-boy image, going by his hit numbers, Halagode, 3 Peg, Tequila, Party Freak, and many more, which is also why he wasn’t sure if he could pull off a police officer role convincingly in a film. When the team of the Kannada film Suthradaari approached him, Raana composer Chandan admits to having had reservations, because it would require a very serious and mature demeanour, which is not what he’s been portraying with his independent music.
Chandan Shetty's worries about Suthradaari stemmed from his onscreen image
“I have a jovial, fun-loving party-boy image; one who enjoys luxury, even though that’s not like me at all in real life. I reckoned that to play a police officer, for starters, I’d have to maintain a certain level of fitness, body language and a seriousness to the overall personality. At the time, I didn’t have any of those qualities; I was not physically fit because of the physique I had to maintain for Elrakaal Eliyatte Kaala. But the prospect of doing this role in Suthradaari seemed challenging,” said the Pogaru hitmaker, who used the role as an incentive to lose the extra flab.
But given that Chandan’s fans have certain expectations of him, does Suthradaari have any elements to play to the gallery? Chandan, who is also the music director, said, “My fans like my songs, so the focus was on ensuring that the songs in Suthradaari resonate with them. All the songs, especially Dash, are big hits. I have also done the background score and used my style of music for the same. So, the entire 2-hour duration of the film will be a musical treat.”
Suthradaari is an investigative thriller, a genre that needs a certain kind of background score to set the vibe. “The whole film is about figuring out who the perpetrator is and then hunting for him. My kind of music – EDM - is apt for this narrative treatment, I believe, and will feel novel for audiences,” added Chandan, who sang the hit number My Marriage is Fixed from Krishnam Pranaya Sakhi.