Meet the cop in Police Police

Sriram (Srikkanth in Tamil) made an impressive debut in Okariki Okaru.

After that there was a hiatus even though his Tamil films were dubbed into Telugu. His return with Selvaraghavan's Adavari Matalaku Ardhale Verule (AMAV) in a supporting role, was noted for his performance.

Now, Sriram's latest Telugu film Police Police directed by debutant director Manmohan is slated for release this Friday.

Sriram lived and studied in Hyderabad before shifting to Chennai and plans to do more Telugu films, as he can speak the language well. Here's more about Police Police which also marks the debut of Malayalam and Tamil actor Prithviraj. Excerpts:

Police Police was filmed quite some time back. Why the delay?

The movie is a bi-lingual and had to be released simultaneously. It was postponed as the hitch lay with people who bought the Tamil film. It kept getting postponed and now finally the Tamil version will release a week after the Telugu.

How did you feel about the delay more so as you had already done some publicity for it more than a year ago?

It was disappointing but time is the best healer. Lots of movies have released with delays and have been successful. I hope Police Police is one of them.

What made you sign Police Police?

The very fact I was looking for a Telugu film. There was a gap after Okariki Okaru as I met with an accident and I had quite a few Tamil film commitments. Then I lost touch with people here. Manmohan (who used to dub and release my Tamil films in Telugu) was a distributor and a self-trained filmmaker. His project had a lot of scope for me.

There were good technicians on board too. Kamalinee and Sanjana were chosen. For the opponent's role, we needed a new person who would be an equal competitor and we thought we would give a fresh look.

At that time, we were filming the Tamil film Kana Kandein by K V Anand. That film was a huge success. So I thought why not get Prithviraj as he would give a better impact. Getting him was difficult as he was busy with Malayalam and Tamil films. He said he would hear the script and when he heard it, he said he would somehow give the dates. He's done a good job.

You play a cop. Could you talk about the role?

This is my first role as a cop in a Telugu film and the film looks at the journey of this cop -- his passions, his family (love aspects), obstacles, and the struggles he faces. It's a balanced role. The variation is seen right from the beginning to the climax. So it's not just heroism alone.

Is the film based on real incidents or is it fictitious? Is it inspired by any film?

There is a bit of fantasy. It's based on bits and pieces of incidents too. It's an original film.

How was it sharing space with Prithviraj again?

Like I said, Prithviraj and I have worked in Kana Kandein before. He knew he would be comfortable with me. We are good friends and we really chilled out. The shoot was like a paid holiday. We used to crack jokes and rag the director.

You worked with Kamalinee Mukherjee in this film...

Kamalinee is a good artiste. I loved her films. She can communicate through her eyes. Kamal Haasan took her in Vettaiyadu Vilaiyadu because she has the right stuff. Even though she had a small role in Vettaiyadu Vilaiyadu, she made an impact. In Police Police, she plays a more modern girl. Kamalinee has done a good job. She is easy to work with.

There's Sanjana too in the movie...

Sanjana is the other heroine. She's new and bubbly, full of energy. It'll be a good thing for her.

You are not seen on celluloid for quite some time...

I worked for 10 months on a Tamil project called Drohi which was wrapped up in January. It's being directed by Sudha, an assistant director of Mani Ratnam. I am more cautious about projects these days.

There is also a film with a new director called Ram. I am still listening to scripts. I am not happy with the roles I've gotten so far as they are not challenging performance wise. Now that I will be in Hyderabad for promoting the Telugu film Police Police, I can hear more scripts and finalise.

What's Drohi about? What's the casting like?

It's the story of two close friends who become dreaded enemies. Vishnu, Pooja, Poonam Bajwa, Thyagarajan (actor Prashant's father) and Tanikella Bharani are in it.

What motivates you to do Telugu movies?

After Roojakootam (Roojapoovulu in Telugu) I was supposed to be launched in Amma Naana O Tamil Ammayi but I met with an accident. I have lived in Hyderabad. I did my schooling here. My parents worked in Hyderabad. I know Telugu. So, I am looking forward to doing more Telugu films. In fact I want to stretch myself and to do bi-lingual projects (Tamil and Telugu).