Tharun Bhascker: I wanted to break free and portray a grey character

Tharun Bhascker discusses his role in 'Om Shanti Shanti Shantihi' and the challenges of directing the 'Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi' sequel.

Director Tharun Bhascker is currently juggling multiple commitments, shooting the sequel to his 2018 buddy comedy Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi(ENE). Aware of the expectations riding on the film, he is nevertheless keen to see how audiences respond to a different turn — a grey character in director A.R. Sajeev’s Om Shanti Shanti Shantihi(OSSS), which releases on January 30.

Fresh from a day’s shoot on ENE 2, Tharun sits down to talk about his latest outing as an actor. Directed by A.R. Sajeev, OSSS is a remake of Vipin Das’ 2022 Malayalam film Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey.

At a time when remakes are often seen as risky, with originals readily available on streaming platforms, the question of why he took it on is inevitable. “This is a role many male actors would hesitate to accept because of its negative arc. The woman is clearly the protagonist,” he says. Eesha Rebba reprises the role played by Darshana Rajendran in the original. “Basil Joseph did a remarkable job in the Malayalam film, and the character stayed with me for a long time.”

So far, Tharun has largely been seen in breezy, happy-go-lucky roles. Even in his directorial venture Keedaa Cola, where he played a don, the tone remained playful. “I did not want to get stereotyped,” he says. “OSSS gave me the chance to break away and explore a darker, more uncomfortable space.”

Tharun Bhascker and Eesha Rebba in the film | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

He is aware of the risks remakes carry in the age of OTT. However, Tharun says the producers are confident, having done their homework, that the film will connect with audiences in tier-2 towns across the Telugu States, where access to multiple streaming platforms is still limited.