Exclusive! There is so much more to my character in Petromax than just the bold scene in the trailer: Hariprriya

Hariprriya's release this week, Petromax, has been in the news for its new trailer that came out a few days ago. The trailer, in typical (director) Vijayaprasad style, has some bold content, primarily with Hariprriya and Sathish Ninasam. It features a barely clad Hariprriya and Sathish Ninasam indulging in what appears to be post-sex chit chat. The response to the trailer has been mixed - some appreciative of its bold nature and Hariprriya's outing in particular, while others are not too happy about the adult content.

Most of the comments about the trailer have been about the adult jokes and its ‘bold’ content, with a majority opining that it is films like Petromax that drag Kannada cinema down the drains. “It is unfortunate that people have formed that opinion based on the trailer,” says Hariprriya, adding, “The problem with the trailer is that the scene has been presented out of context. My character, Meenakshi, is a real-estate agent. I shot for this particular sequence, because it made sense as part of the narrative. The whole movie has a lot of capacity to pull in audiences and that is why I chose to be a part of it. When Vijayaprasad came home and narrated the character, the reason I chose it was for the story and how important my character is to it. She takes the story forward and brings in connections with the other characters. The vitality and calibre of the character is why I took up Petromax. The director convinced me about the importance of the scene and I trusted him. It was meant to convey that couples are not just about ‘slam bang thank you ma’am’; they can also have meaningful conversation amid moments of intimacy. The scene was conceived well. But I did not expect them to use only this for promotions… there are better scenes in the film.”

Now, Hariprriya feels that the best course of action is to wait for audiences to see the film and then judge her character. “I want people to understand the merit of the role based on the whole film and not just the trailer, but unfortunately, right now, all opinions squarely rest on the trailer. I stand by the fact that the role, in totality, is quite good,” she says.