Karthi on Sulthan’s clash with Nagarjuna’s Wild Dog: ‘There is always an audience for good films’

Karthi speaks about his upcoming film Sulthan and how it was a challenge to work with a team of 100 men.

Actor Karthi, who was last seen in the critically acclaimed Khaidi, is now geared up to entertain audience with action drama Sulthan. Directed by Bakkiyaraj Kannan of Remo fame, the movie stars Rashmika Mandanna as the female lead.

Before the film’s worldwide release on April 2, Karthi interacted with the media. During the conversation, he said that Sulthan is made for a big-screen experience that can be watched along with family. He also talked about the production status of Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan. Excerpts:

Tell us about Sulthan?

The story of Sulthan in one line is – what happens if we have 100 brothers. My character’s aim in the movie is to look after these 100 men. How the protagonist handles them forms the crux of the tale. When director Bakkiyaraj Kannan narrated the film’s idea to me, I got very excited and thought that it would become a big movie with beautiful emotions. I agreed to do this project, and we worked for almost two years on the scripting itself. The film is like a festival where you can watch it and enjoy it with your family.

Did the film receive any OTT offers?

Yes, we had the options for the OTT release. But we wanted to bring Sulthan first to the theatres.

How was it like shooting with 100 men in a single frame?

Having all the 100 men in a frame was quite a big challenge for us as we had no reference on how to go forward. It took almost five days to get a proper idea and hold the shooting with 100 men. It was a new experience for me. Filming for this film was like a festival for all (laughs).

When you are doing a big subject like Sulthan, everything looks larger than life, but you have to convince and make the audience believe that it is happening on the screen. It is not an easy job, and this is a kind of film where you can cover wider age groups.

After Khaidi, has there been any change in your thought process while choosing scripts?

With every film, I am making sure that it differs from my previous outings. That is why the number of films in my filmography looks less. I am enjoying the way I have been doing movies. I am trying and picking up the stories that interest me and pose challenges to me.

Sulthan is going to have a box office clash with Nagarjuna Akkineni’s Wild Dog.

I must thank Nagarjuna for wishing us the best in the pre-release event of Wild Dog. I believe that irrespective of the number of releases, good films always work here. I pray that both movies should do well at the box office.

How was it working with Rashmika Mandanna?

Rashmika was always on time in the sets. Even though Sulthan was shot with long breaks in between the schedules, there were no problems for the dates from her end. She always cooperated and made sure that the work was completed.

Sulthan will be a very good launch for her in Tamil. Her character in the movie is very central and a strong one.

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Did you observe any changes in film releases post the pandemic lockdown?

People are more hopeful because of the Telugu film industry. Here, the films are running with great success at the box office. It is a positive hope for us as well. When it comes to releasing movies, I think sometimes, we need to make decisions that favour everybody. It should be a collective one. There is a risk on my side, but it is also important to take that risk and come out of that. All this confidence comes from our belief in the content.

What is the status of Ponniyin Selvan?

70 per cent of the filming has already been completed, and the project is coming as a two-part film. Working for this film is a lifetime experience.

When can we expect to see you on the OTT platforms?

If something extraordinary comes my way, I can try. But I don’t have to go to the OTTs to try something different since I have space where the people allow me to experiment on the big screen.

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