No qualms about doing two-hero film, says Rishab Shetty about Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana

Filmmaker-actor Rishab Shetty is bonafide leading man in Kannada cinema; so it came as a surprise to many that he was playing one of two heroes in director-actor Raj B Shetty’s Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana. So, how did he agree to be a part of it? “Honestly, it was not about me agreeing, but getting the team, especially Raj, to consider me for the role,” he said jovially during a recent interview with an online portal, adding, “Normally, if a hero has had a commercially-successful film, the next step is to do a project that is bigger and better. But my policy has always been about doing different characters, so, it doesn’t matter to me if there are two actors, and that the other will get half the screen time. For me, the experience is more important – I need to work with good directors and film teams. I liked Raj’s team a lot. So, I went after them to convince them that I could play Hari in Garuda Gamana Vrishabha Vahana. After Ulidavaru Kandanthe, I had done a string of roles with a humorous note, because of which, Raj’s team was not sure if I could pull off Hari’s character. Truth be told, even I was worried if I could, but they took me on and we even shot a few portions. All the while, my focus was on making sure that the team was comfortable with having me around and on board the film. I used to also ask them if my performance was OTT, subtle or just right and to give me the right feedback. I believe that an actor should not be the focal point of a film, the character should and it should travel seamlessly along with the narrative. As far as I am concerned, if I get a role that will make me happy, I will do it, irrespective of who else is in the film.”

The actor also spoke about how there is a perception among Kannada audiences that once someone plays protagonist roles, they will only stick to that. “We often speak about heroes, like Fahad Faasil or Vijay Sethupathi, etc., from other industries and the versatility they bring into their craft and roles. But what we do here is the standard low-angle shots, build-up for the hero, punchlines, etc. I don’t think that is cinema," he said.