Saikumar is an Ayurveda practitioner in Sharan’s Avatara Purusha

Saikumar has an envious body of work across Kannada, Telugu and Tamil films in his nearly 50 years in showbiz, as an actor and voice talent, dubbing for some leading Tollywood actors. The veteran actor, who has quite a few upcoming projects in Kannada says that being part of films like his next, Avatara Purusha, makes his journey worthwhile.

Speaking to TOI, the actor said that the fact that he was still getting good and challenging characters, like the one in the Suni-directed Avatara Purusha is what keeps him going after all these years. Suni, says Saikumar, is a talented filmmaker with a keen eye for realistic representation in cinema. And Avatara Purusha, in which the veteran actor plays an Ayurveda practitioner called Ram Jois, is one that has a good script. Ram Jois, he adds, is a medicine man, who is firm believer in the healing powers of nature, and is, hence, well loved. The film, which is being released in two installments, will see the actor in two distinct looks.

While Saikumar enjoyed his first collaboration with Sharan, who he says is an actor with incredible comic timing, he was also glad to be working with Sudharani yet again, who used to be his heroine many years ago. In Avatara Purusha, Sudharani plays Saikumar’s sister. He adds that one actress that he hadn’t had the fortune of working with earlier, Bhavya, will be his wife in the film. Saikumar's real-life brother, Ayyappa is his reel brother too, as Brahma Jois. 

Avatara Purusha, which was shot majorly in Kerala, was slated to have its first installment in theatres on December 10. The buzz in Sandalwood circles, though, is that the Pushakara Mallikarjunaiah production will be pushed ahead, and that a final release date is still being figured out.

The film has Sharan and Ashika Ranganath in the lead, with Srinagara Kitty, Balaji Manohar, Vijay Chendoor, and Ashustosh Rana in pivotal roles.