Actor Bharat: The fear of being unable to survive in the film industry keeps me going

Fear, The fear of being unable to survive in the film industry. This is what motivates actor Bharat to get out of bed and work every day.

“I have to do it on my own. There will be no one else to pull me up.” Bharat, who has been in the industry for more than two decades now, worries that this should not be a call for sympathy. “I understand that’s where I stand in cinema. I’ve had some success, and now I have to stick around.”

Bharat has raised a lot of hope mirali, the upcoming horror-thriller co-starring Vaani Bhojan. “This project is close to my heart,” he says. But he is more excited as this will be his first theatrical release in the language after the pandemic. He said, “The release of a film in theaters is the biggest joy any actor can get. No matter what has changed after the pandemic, watching a film on the big screen is irreplaceable for both the actor and the audience,” he added. He says. Excerpts from an interview:

Considering ‘Mirral’ director M Sakthivel as a debutant, there must have been something that pulled you into this project. what is that?

First, it has a strong story. As a story, it may be simple – it is about a man who fights to protect his family after an unexpected event – but it is told through a strong screenplay. On top of this emotional core, elements of horror and thriller were added to make it more enjoyable. I don’t know if you can call the film a horror.

Also, although Sakthivel has no prior experience of directing, barring a few short films, I was impressed by his confidence and his understanding of the craft.

You are hesitant to call it a horror film…

Yes. This is no ordinary horror movie like Magic, It is a thriller with elements of horror added in the form of embellishments. In fact, the film is more about its strong emotional undercurrents.

Is it exhausting to act in films where you have to maintain a high emotional pitch?

Undoubted. shooting for mirali It was physically and mentally exhausting. The script had a lot of emotional ups and downs and the film also has a lot of stunts. The bigger challenge was that since the entire film is set at night, we used to shoot from 7 pm to 4 am. In addition, the cold climate of Thenkasi was another challenge.

We haven’t seen you in any web series after ‘Time Anna Boss’ in 2020. Keeping in mind the OTT environment, do you want to be a part of more web series projects?

Definitely. I mean, as an actor you cannot afford to say no to such streaming projects. You have to strike a balance between theatrical release and OTT projects. like the success of a series Suzdal: The Vortex speaks for itself.

I have some web series coming up. The first sony liv web series is named story of things, which is about the relationship between a human being and a particular thing. The second series is a ZEE5 series produced by Radaan MediaWorks and directed by Vasanthbalan.

Thrillers like ‘Mirral’ may do well on streaming, but we are seeing thrillers doing well in theatres. What went into this decision to choose a theater release?

For miraliThis is purely a business decision. The entire film was shot in less than 20 days and with a limited cast and crew. The production value was not high, and I believe it will be a profitable venture.

You have been in this industry for over two decades, and your script selection criteria may have evolved. What do you see in the story now?

Over the past two decades, I have seen how cinema has changed and how producers are evolving. Now, it is my responsibility to keep updating myself and adapt myself to the changes. I am doing that, but I am also looking forward to do films that reflect family values, which are not exposed much these days. I have done films like this before m magna, veilo, koodle nagar, and so on, which deal with family relationships and the drama that takes place within the family. Very few directors like Pandiraj or Muttiah are doing such films now. I wish more creators write stories like this because concepts like this are evergreen, considering how culture-oriented we all are.

Your Telugu film ‘Hunt’ is also ready for release. Earlier, you did a supporting role in Salman Khan’s ‘Radhe’. How do you choose such projects?

i chose to do to hunt Because I liked this role. It is a film about three police officers and I am playing the role of one of the three. Mika Srikanth and Sudheer Babu play the other two roles, and we all had similar footage and value in the script.

I did Radhe Purely for the experience of working with Salman Sir and Prabhu Deva Master. I have already worked in Bollywood – in 2013 film jackpot – But I wanted to know how this industry works and so when Prabhu Master asked me, I immediately agreed to it. However, I am quite satisfied and happy with my work here in Tamil cinema. This is my home ground.

So, is there any calculation for choosing movies in Telugu and Malayalam?

Working in other language industries is simply expanding the range and exploring new areas. As an actor, when you see the material that these industries are doing, you will naturally want to be a part of such scripts. In addition, the closure between languages ​​increases the value of your home area in terms of business.

‘Hunt’ is a multi-starrer, which is now trending everywhere. Can we see you in such a project in Tamil?

I have always been ready to do multi-starrers. I’ve already done this in projects: vanami, PatialAnd veilo…I could go on. I think when another actor stars with you, it adds more value to the experience. In addition, it will help actors to get a fresh perspective on the craft while watching other actors.

Are you the kind of person who has a set map for achieving future goals or are you the present-first person?

If we calculate and chart a plan for the future, we will get frustrated if things don’t go according to plan. For now, I just want to choose good scripts and work with good production companies who can promote my films well.