Pooja Kumar of ‘Vishwaroopam’ and ‘Uttama Villain’ fame will be seen in ‘Garuda Vega’ as Swathi, the wife of Rajasekhar.
In this interview, the talented actress talks about what made her choose the film, what makes ‘GV’ special, why it should be watched only in the theatre, how it was teaming up with Praveen Sattaru and Rajasekhar, and more.
How do you describe ‘Garuda Vega’? There is action and there is also the husband-wife relationship that has been explored.
It’s an action movie. It’s a thriller. It’s an emotional film as well. I would call it a path-breaking movie for Telugu cinema. It’s a one-of-its-kind entertainer. And it’s definitely the kind of movie you would want to go and watch in a theatre. There is a train sequence, a motorcycle sequence, so on and so forth. These are a cinematic experience. You won’t feel the experience if you watch it on TV.
What is your character like in the movie?
I should first thank Praveen (Sattaru) for the lovely script. Swathi is a housewife who loves her family and wants to be loved. At the same time, she understands that her hubby is protecting the country. So, she is in two minds. Should she let her hubby do his job? Or should she feel sad that he is not taking her to dinner, etc?
How did you approach the character?
I didn’t want to seem like a nagging wife. She is sort of troubled that her husband is not giving her love and protection. She feels isolated. I wanted to bring out the isolation that many women feel. She is the wife of an NIA officer who doesn’t know what is going to happen next day. Every day is a different day for him. And the wife doesn’t know whether he is going to come back, come back injured, etc. There is a little bit of layering into the character. At the same time there is a lightness about her. We had a great time shooting.
There are many other important characters that the film has. What is their place in the story?
I think most of the films have a hero, a heroine, and a villain. In ‘GV’, there are other important characters, too. There is Sekhar’s story, there is Swathi’s story, there is Adith’s story. Every story has its own importance.
Praveen had always had a bound script. As I was reading the 120-page script, it was very moving. I kept on reading. He was very clear about what he wanted to shoot. There is an edginess to the scenes. And there is a great deal of characters.
Is your role substantial in the film?
I think yes. Because isn’t wife the most important one in your life? (Guffaws). I am there even in the climax. Not many films have the heroine in the climax.
Is ‘GV’ more Hollywoodish than an Indian movie?
It’s a blend of Hollywood-like special effects and the Indian-type sentimentality. The emotions are how we feel in India.
It has been shot in a range of locations. In one of the places where it rains often, we had to shoot when it rained and come back once it stopped. And then when it rained again, we would go back to shoot.
How was it working with Rajasekhar?
I hadn’t known him before signing up this movie. He is such a talented actor. I realized he is like a cop. ‘GV’ is like his comeback movie. He is energetic.
