Kiccha Sudeep: I’m at a stage in my career, where it is no longer only about me

Kiccha Sudeep has two reasons for doing villain roles or cameos in films led by other stars. For starters, it is often out of love for the filmmaker, or the star, as the case maybe, who has made the request. It’s been so with SS Rajamouli for Eega, Salman Khan for Dabangg 3 and now, with R Chandru for his upcoming gangster flick Kabzaa, which has Upendra in the lead. But the second and more important reason is that the actor says that he is at a stage in his career, where when picking up a role, it’s no longer about him.

Speaking at the Mumbai leg of the Kabzaa promotions today, Sudeep said, “At the end of the day, it is about the fact that these filmmakers and stars want me and that’s a great feeling. For instance, in Dabangg 3, the role was that of the villain, not like Eega. But if you are wanted there and that is going to make someone happy and add something extra to the film, then why not? Also, today, it is not just about me. In the beginning of my career, it was all about me – my film, my Friday, and if my movie was clashing with that of someone else at the box office, I wanted to win. Now, when I am offered certain roles, I don’t look into how much screen space I get; instead it is about whether I am going to make a difference to the poster of the film. Today, we are at a point in cinema where we collaborate for many reasons, it’s not just about having a protagonist and an antagonist.”

Kabzaa, written, directed and produced by Chandru, is releasing in theatres across the globe on March 17. Advance booking for the film in India is expected to begin on March 10.