Shivraj KR Pete, who has won millions of hearts with his comedy act, says he came to Bengaluru 14 years ago, with a dream to become an actor. However, he didn’t get the right kind of opportunity, and the reality show, Comedy Khiladigalu, became a platform for him to prove his talent. From then on, there has been no looking back for Shivraj.
Having been part of 24 films in a span of two years as a comedian, he will be seen as a full-fledged hero for the first time in Naanu Matthu Gunda. However, Shivraj, who doesn’t want to see himself as a hero, says he has done the job as an actor.
“I get to play a unique role in Naanu Matthu Gunda, which is the first kind of its attempt for me. I would want to credit Simba and Gunda, the labrador dogs, who share screen space with me,” says the actor, adding, “Directors are creators of characters and it is the roles that choose the actors. Director Srinivas
Thimmaiah and producer Raghu Hassan felt that I could justify the role, and considered me as part of their team. Moreover, for me, getting treated as a proper actor, and not just as a comedian, is a proud feeling.
As an artiste, one should be ready to do any kind of acting. Apart from making people laugh, I also want to entertain the audience with different kinds of emotions.”
Shivraj adds that working with animals has been a different kind of experience, and adds that he got to learn a few tips from Simba, the big labrador.
“Before I started the shoot, I spent a few hours for one month with Simba and we became friendly. For me, this labrador came as a one-take artiste. He knew when to act, and when to cut himself away from the camera. Even the little one, which we named Gunda, was very confident,” says Shivraj, adding that the film will explore the human-animal bonding.
“Communication between two people has come down drastically now. It is probably the animals that understand our emotions more than people around you. I also have a dog and have friends who have them as pets. Sometimes, they understand us better. The animal-human bonding is very well explained in Naanu Matthu Gunda,” he says.
Shivraj reveals that he does nurture directorial aspirations. “While looking for acting opportunities, I also got to work as an assistant director in Jacob Verghese’s Prithvi, which starred Puneeth Rajkumar. I like getting behind the camera, but it will take a little longer, because I have realised that a lot of learning is needed before wielding the megaphone,” he says.