Sudeep interview | On ‘Max’, taking break from movies and what to expect from ‘Billa Ranga Baasha’

Ahead of his upcoming movie ‘Max,’ Kannada superstar Sudeep opens up on the action drama, the reasons behind the film’s delay and gives a hint about his highly-ambitious project ‘Billa Ranga Baasha’

Kannada superstar Sudeep, awaiting the release of his upcoming movie Max, is a relieved man. “I have deprived my fans for two-and-a-half years,” he admits. The movie, produced by Kalaipuli S Thanu and directed by debutant Vijay Kartikeyaa, hits the screens on December 25, 2024.

After the big-budget suspense thriller Vikrant Rone (2022), Sudeep is back with an out-and-out action drama. He talks to The Hindu about the outing, the reasons behind the film’s delay, the divided opinions on Vikrant Rona, the increasing discussions about box office numbers, and more.

Excerpts:

I wanted to do a project that’s a bit off-beat. I didn’t want to do a film that was huge in scale. I needed to come back to certain movies that I always enjoyed doing. I play a very believable character in Max, and the film is quite realistic. That said, there are enough commercial elements for my fans to enjoy. Vijay Kartikeyaa, the movie’s director, will turn out to be a surprise for people when they watch Max. I love to work with newcomers.

I would have responded if I were the reason for the film’s delay. The last name that was associated with the entire fiasco was mine. Those involved in creating this confusion never gave proper clarity to people. They appeared and disappeared on social media without a concrete solution. Naturally, people were left puzzled. Finally, I thank veteran producer Rockline Venkatesh for cooling down the situation. Today, if the movie is ready for release, he is one of the prime reasons. I have friends in the industry who stand by me during my tough times.

It depends on what the actor believes in. After a long time in the industry, you feel like choosing only exciting projects. In my case, after Vikrant Rona, no other project was ready to go on floors because of COVID-related challenges. To make matters worse, I got hit by Covid twice. It almost took away one-and-a-half years from me. Because of the medicines, I had less energy. I couldn’t lift weights. When you don’t exercise, you tend to look differently. So, I had to get back in shape. Finally, Max went on floors. Max was supposed to hit the theatres much before. We even released a teaser with a caption that said, ‘Soon, sooner and soonest.’ I didn’t know it meant December (laughs). Unfortunately, the film got delayed for various reasons.

We should go with the times. What is wrong with movies aiming for big numbers? How do you measure growth otherwise? If a person can switch jobs because of a better designation or a hefty paycheck, why can’t filmmakers wish to do big numbers? Technical and creative aspects of a movie should be discussed, of course. That said, it’s also common for people to speak about numbers outside of the film. People are never satisfied. They might even feel Jurassic Park or Titanic could have done better at the box office. When they use the word ‘better’, it also means they liked the movie. I see the positive side of this entire debate. We must strive hard for more and hit a figure at the box office. The bigger the number, the bigger the success of the movie. The richest in the company, the Ambanis, still work for numbers. If you are good at something, why do it for free?