Vikrant Rona: Kichcha Sudeep says there are no new stories, just newer presentations

As a creative person, Kannada star Kichcha Sudeep, whose latest release was Vikrant Rona, says all he looks for in a script is the opportunity to deliver a never-seen-before presentation because "new" stories are difficult to find. Before embarking on any project as an actor, director, or producer, the 48-year-old actor believes he isn't a "great decision maker" and relies on instinct.

Sudeep sits in narration with a clean and clear mind, and if something sparks his interest, he moves forward. In an interview, he said, there are no new stories; just newer presentations. "I make films as long as there is an emotion that can connect with the audience. You can't say you've never seen anything like this before. Perhaps, the presentation is something that hasn't been seen before."

In his over 25-year career, the actor has starred in Kannada blockbusters including, Sparsha, Kiccha, Swathi Muthu, The Villain, Pailwaan, Telugu-Tamil bilingual Eega and Telugu-Hindi bilingual series Rakta Charitra. Also, he served as director, producer and actor on Kannada hit My Autograph, No 73, Shanthi Nivasa and Veera Madakari. Sudeep saw all of these films as nothing more than a beautiful coincidence. "To be honest, if something excites me, I just do it."

Fondly, he remembers saying an immediate "yes" to SS Rajamouli's Eega, which featured him in a negative role, besides choosing Ram Gopal Varma's Rann which allowed him to collaborate with his favourite megastar Amitabh Bachchan.

"When I went to meet Rajmouli sir, I wasn't expecting anything spectacular. He narrated the plot in less than 10 seconds, and I just accepted it without thinking about how negative the character was... Similarly, when Rann came along, I had the opportunity to work with Mr Bachchan. Working with these two cinema legends exuded a childlike excitement. So, I always look for excitement because I believe it is what works for me. I'm not sure if I should have made more calculated moves, but for the time being, I'm content with what I have!"

Sudeep believes that his passion for cinema and the love shown to him by the audience are the keys to his rising star value.

"Cinema is my passion. Everything that I'm today is because of films. I've always loved and lived with movies. Similarly, cinema has adored me. I don't think I could have lasted 25 years if the audience didn't love me back," added Sudeep.

The actor expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to tell stories that speak to him on multiple levels: as a viewer, actor, director, and producer. "It is an honour for me to be here. I only do a few films a year; I'm not a four-film-a-year kind of actor. I only make one film a year, so I don't think I'll be able to abandon my passion so easily. I haven't even told 100 stories in my career."

Vikrant Rona is currently in cinemas. The 3D fantasy action adventure directed by Anup Bhandari, co-stars Nirup Bhandari, Neetha Ashok, Jacqueline Fernandez, Ravishankar Gowda, and Madhusudan Rao to name a few. Superstar Salman Khan, Sudeep's co-star from Dabangg 3, presented the film in north India via his banner Salman Khan Films.

The Kannada actor will next be seen in Billa Ranga Baashaa, slated to come out sometime this year.