Prajwal Devaraj is all set to pack a punch this week as Inspector Vikram. The Gentleman hero, who had previously appeared briefly as a policeman in Kote, will now be seen in the full-fledge role of a cop in this film directed by debutant Narasimha. Ahead of the film’s release on Friday, Prajwal says he always wanted to step into the uniform of his father, Devaraj, and he felt strange while bringing in shades of frivolousness and discipline into his character.
Recalling his childhood days, the actor says he always saw a hero in his father, who was popular for playing a policeman in his films. “Back then, a lot of films featured my father as an inspector, and people loved him that way. There were times when we saw people saluting my father, and I have heard some people say that they took up a policeman’s job after watching his films. All this made me feel a strange connection with the khaki uniform when I was growing up. I also thought that if I became a hero, I would only do the roles of cops. However, after I joined films, I started doing different roles. Though it wasn’t much apparent when I did Kote, my attraction towards this grew strong during the dubbing of Inspector Vikram,” he says.
Prajwal was also required to cash in on his comedy side in this film, and combining the characteristics of a stern police officer while simultaneously exploring the humour was a unique experience, he adds. “A few directors did try to bring out the comedy timing in me in bits and pieces, and the audience saw that in Bhadra and Meravanige, among other films.
But the element wasn’t seen in a full-fledged form, unlike Inspector Vikram. Having said that, irrespective of the character I play, I make sure that I bring in humour in the characters I play. However, Narasimha did tap this talent of mine very well, and it was fun while dubbing. This film has me talk a lot, and deliver over-the-top dialogues. This was the director’s vision, and I am confident people will like it,” he reveals.
The film shows the character in many dimensions, and Prajwal says the audience will find it worth the wait. “The trailer and teasers are just giving the outline of the characters and the technical strength of Anoop Seelin’s music and Naveen Kumar’s camerawork. The content is yet to be out. Behind the humour shade, there is a tough side of Vikram, which can be seen on the silver screen,” he says.
This film has Prajwal sharing screen space for the first time with actors Bhavana and Raghu Mukherjee. “I had suggested Raghu’s name during our discussion for the cast, as I felt that he would be very presentable in the role of this antagonist,” discloses Prajwal, adding that while Bhavana was fun to work with, he felt comfortable to work with Darshan, who will be seen in a special appearance.
“I have previously appeared in a song and a couple of scenes in some films with Darshan, and I am extremely comfortable acting with him. For this film, Narasimha has sensibly brought out the bonding we share off screen to the screen, and it will be a treat to the fans,” says Prajwal, talking about how Inspector Vikram will cater to different kinds of audience, who will have different elements to like about him. “Children will like the humour side and dance from me.
Adults will like my sensibilities and acting, and boys will love the action scenes. So we will be catering to everybody through this film,” he says. Inspector Vikram will be one of the first films to be released amid the coronavirus outbreak. Emphasising that good entertainment will always have the audience coming to theatres, Prajwal says, “I am confident that Inspector Vikram will attract movie lovers.”