PremiumSalaar Ceasefire actor Pramod on why he rejected a role in Pushpa 2 The Rule
The role in Pushpa 2 not only required Pramod to be beaten up a lot by Allu Arjun, but also has some characteristics that he wasn't onboard with
Last Updated: 03.41 PM, Mar 19, 2024
Kannada actor Pramod is not against playing antagonist; he is, after all, one of the main villains of Prabhas’ Salaar. The actor, who has been doing a bunch of films as protagonist back home in Kannada, is not ready to only do antagonist roles just yet in other industries, no matter how big the film.
Speaking on the sidelines of the teaser launch of his next in Kannada, Bhuvanam Gaganam, Pramod said that he’d been offered an antagonist role in Pushpa 2: The Rule, starring Allu Arjun in the lead. Pramod was approached and given a story narration, which he quite liked, but when he was given details about the character that they had in mind for him, he wasn’t as thrilled.
The role that was meant for Pramod would not only be beaten black and blue by the hero, but also has certain characteristics that will be revealed when the film comes out, that the actor was not comfortable with. Pramod adds that his reluctance in taking up the role was not about getting beaten by the hero, but rather because he is still hopeful of making a bright career for himself in Kannada.
Pramod, whose work in films like Premier Padmini and Rathnan Prapancha has been widely lauded, says that he is confident that Kannada audiences will give him a successful trajectory as a leading man. It will happen someday, he says. If it doesn’t and audiences tell him that he doesn’t have it in him to be a hero, then he is ready to go and play antagonist and get beaten by the leading man, because it is a matter of his livelihood.
The actor is currently working on completing Bhuvanam Gaganam, a travel-based film in which Pruthvi Ambaar plays an intellectually-challenged person. Thereafter, sometime in April Pramod is hoping to return to the set of Salaar for the shoot of the sequel. Pramod plays Baachi Raja Mannar, brother of Prithviraj’s character, Vardha Raja Mannar.
An updated version of Prashant Neel’s Ugramm, Salaar also focuses on the friendship between Vardha and Deva (Prabhas) and how they go on to become enemies. In the original, this feud is kicked off when Agasthya (Sriimurali) kills Bala’s (Tilak) brother, which in this case will be Prabhas killing Baachi.