I am here because of my mass image : STR

STR Speaks on Osthe from Hyderabad.

There’s never a dull moment with Silambarasan. He’s witty and at all times, he’s engaging. It’s heartening to meet politically incorrect actors like him.That’s why his friends adore him and without much ado we love STR. Sridevi Sreedhar in a candid conversation with the young superstar in Hyderabad, where he is shooting for his first endorsement.

Excerpts It must be exciting to get back to your forte, hardcore action stuff in Osthi?
That’s true. I haven’t given so much, for a film. I was switched off from everyone including my family and friends. I knew right from the beginning that there was no fooling around (laughs), while doing Osthi.

Fooling around with Dharani or the film?
Doing Dabangg remake is no joke as Salman has already made the film a huge hit with his scorching screen presence and I had to live up to people’s expectations. As we started the shoot, I knew that I had a huge responsibly on my shoulders and I completely surrendered to my character.

Will you be compared to Salman?
No one can do a better job than me! Okay, Okay I’m just joking. Salman brought his approach to the role and I have brought mine. So there should be no comparisons.

Did you plan to have a body like this?
Not at all.. Maybe, if I knew that I had to show my body, I would have had second thoughts to accept the film. My theory was that –‘A star is a star! No matter what body you have’.
But Osthi completely changed my attitude and I decided to work hard to get this body. I realised that Sonu Sood who plays the villain is powerful and he takes off his shirt and shows his body in the climax. I had to look more powerful than him to make the scene convincing, I had to get that fab abs and a perfect body.

A lot of people think that after earning the Mr Nice Guy image in films like Vinnaithandi Varuvaaya and Vaanam, why did you have to return to doing a mass masala film?

I'm here because of my mass image and no one can take it away from me. And how
long can I do such roles? A VTV or Vaanam comes once in a blue moon and as a hero I have to do films in different genres to sustain at the top. I saw Dabangg and thought that the role was perfect for me. And when Dharani was roped in to direct the film, I was relieved. He knew his job and the film was safe in his hands.