Everyone tries hard to be called a ‘gentleman’ throughout their lives, and that is exactly what Prajwal Devaraj portrays in his upcoming film. But while other men have sufficient time to prove themselves as persons of honour, the character he plays in the movie doesn’t — he sleeps for 18 hours, and remains awake only for six hours every day. “His struggle to be called as a ‘gentleman’ in this short duration is challenging, and that’s how the film got its title, Gentleman,” says Prajwal, his excitement palpable when he talks about the film with CE, ahead of its release on February 7.
He admits that this was a new concept for him, presented by director Jadesh Kumar. “I had no clue about the sleeping beauty syndrome, or the human egg trafficking, and got to realise it only after the director narrated the story to me. That’s what excited me in the first place, to pick up the project,” says the actor, whose only concern was whether Jadesh had done enough research. “Whether it’s about a person’s weakness or fertility-related crimes, these are close to real stories, and we shouldn’t be doing something wrong. Even I did my homework and studied the behavioral pattern of people who have a weakness to sleep all the time, their temper levels, and all of it helped me to play the character,” he adds.
Like its title, the tag line of Gentleman also draws attention. ‘Kumbhakarna’ creates instant interest, taking cinema lovers to mythology, because Prajwal’s character, who sleeps for 18 hours a day, closely resembles Kumbhakarna. According to Prajwal, the team initially planned to have Kumbhakarna as the film’s title, but they felt it was too harsh, and so it became the tag line. “The hero’s introduction and the film’s opening happens with a play based on Kumbhakarna being staged,” he reveals.
Prajwal found it taxing— mentally and physically — to get into Gentleman’s character, as he had to put in a lot of effort, which, he says, is evident on the screen. “It has been a year-and-a-half since I had a release, and after watching Gentleman, I felt it was worth the wait,” says the actor, to whom Jadesh Kumar came across as an intelligent director. “He knows what he wants, and has gauged the pulse of the audience. The twist and turns that he has brought in every 15 minutes in Gentleman, is something everybody should watch out for,” he says.The film, which marks director Guru Deshpande’s debut as a producer, has Ajaneesh Loknath composing the music.