Director Harsha’ upcoming film Jai Maruthi 800 makes for a rich tapestry, with all actors adding more colour to the very fabric of the film and sharing equal importance as well as screen space. While Sharan will entertain with his earthy comedy and is sure to add more freshness, Sruthi Hariharan and Shubha Punja will bring in the feminine glamour and their individual acting prowess along with an ensemble cast of 25 other actors. In a conversation with City Express, the three actors share their experiences with the film.
Shubha Punja as Smitha
Shubha, who has been going slow with her choice of movies, is glad to be back on track and being part of big star cast. According to her, the opportunity is huge and the film could take her to the next level. “The characterisation is very clear and I am sure people will register my role as Smitha in the film just like my character in Moggina Manasu,” she says.
The actress states that in comedy, the chemistry has to be unique and important, which she managed to share with Sharan. “It matched big time because off-screen too, Sharan is a hilarious person. Moreover, Harsha’s idea of shooting the climax in the beginning worked well because he had brought in the entire star cast together which helped us to know the team members. So, I was quite comfortable with all the actors," she says.
Sruthi Hariharan as Geetha
Considering that Sruthi has always been part of non commercials films like Lucia, Dyvare, and yet-to-be-released Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu, the actress has put in an effort to be versatile in Jai Maruthi 800 and according to her, she never even imagined that she would be part of a comedy film. “I never thought I could pull it off, but I managed. When I was offered the role of Geetha, I did not think twice because I didn’t want to lose a chance of working with Harsha,” she says.
Though the film runs through comedy, according to the actress, she plays a lovable girl who is in a romantic relationship with Sharan’s character. “I am actually surrounded by comedy acts including my father and I have to constantly react, keeping with the timing,” says Sruthi and makes a special mention about another character played by Vidya. “She is present in every screen with me and shares the entire comedy elements, " she says.
Sharan as Jeeva
For Sharan, comedy remains his forte and he asserts that in Jai Maruthi 800 too, he has ample scope to delve further into his comical abilities. “If I say, that I have tried something different from comedy, then I will be lying. But, as Jeeva, I have still made an attempt to bring in a different shade for this film,” he says.
Going by the promotions, if nothing else, the different shade is definitely visible with his six-pack abs which he will flaunt for the first time. “It took 11 months of dedicated workouts to get the abs. I am not a health freak nor a person who is interested in body building. I never expected that my body will be shaped to such an extent,” says Sharan and clarifies that the story had a platform where the physique could blend in. “It does not seem forced and I am quite excited to watch the six packs on big screen,” he says.
Speaking about the title, Sharan feels that unlike his previous films Rambo, Victory, Adhyaksha, or Jai Lalitha, there is some uniqueness to the name Jai Maruthi 800, which is the core of the fim. “The most exciting part of this film is the title, which has many related stories, be it the car, lord Maruthi himself, or just a name or a measurement unit. And that is where the actual twist has been brought in by director Harsha, which will be the heart of the film,” he says and adds that the film entirely takes place in North Karnataka. “The narration connects geographically to these places which brings out a different and fresh flavour. As for the story, the film starts from the 16th century and comes to the present,” he reveals.
Admitting that he has been a fan of Harsha’s style of filmmaking and always wanted to do a film with him, he says, “Harsha can handle comedy quite well. Just that he had not tried it before. I have in fact told him to make a couple of more films based on comedy,” he notes.