After a four-year sabbatical, Suneil Shetty is set to debut with the Kannada-Hindi bilingual sports drama Pehlwaan, which stars Kichcha Sudeep.
At 58, the actor is at the peak of fitness but behind that tough exterior, is a gentle and soft-spoken man who is popularly known as the ‘4 am friend’ among the industry folks.
On his comeback, Suneil says, “I have never been scared of anything. If I have failed, I have accepted my mistakes.
Today, I feel insecure because the film industry has evolved over the last decade and you see young kids who are professionals with their craft. I felt a bit outdated. One Friday can be a huge game-changer. You will think you are from that era so you can get away with anything. But it may make you look like a fool.
I would rather act than look like a fool. When I used to shoot earlier I would never look at the monitor. But this time around, I would constantly see the monitor to check if I was overacting or if I was I too subdued.”
The actor reveals he took a break of four years for personal reasons. “I was upset over my father’s illness and wanted to be with him.
I couldn’t concentrate on my work as I couldn’t give him much time. He would go to bed by the time I returned from work and I wanted to spend time with him. My father was the hero of my life. He had come to Mumbai at the age of nine. From a cleaner boy to the owner of a restaurant, he came up the hard way. For me, there’s no one bigger than him.”
Ask him if he plans to pen a biography on his father’s life and Suniel says, “I would want to and I think I will. I have learnt a lot from my parents and feel that parenting is important. Children pick up from their elders.
My parents were simple folks and my children have learnt a lot from them. I always tell my friends how important it is to get children into sports at young age so that they learn about wellness, fitness and team co-ordination.
I talk to my children about failure more than I talk of success. This is a fickle industry and I have seen a lot of failures as well as success. I was once written off by the industry. I analysed myself and realised my weaknesses.
That’s why I started doing action films. It worked for me and with success came learning. I learnt acting along the way and I’m still working on it.”
About his comeback film Pehlwaan, Suniel says, “I have not dubbed in Kannada as I didn’t want to go wrong with my diction. I hail from Karnataka but I speak Tulu. Sudeep is a huge star down south and I’m piggybacking on him.
Pehlwaan is a blessing for me as it will allow me to test the waters I realised I had not forgotten acting. I’m still comfortable in front of the camera. I kept myself fit so that I don’t have to work on things too much. But mentally I wasn’t ready to do films. Now, I feel I am ready to do more work.”
On maintaining relationships in the film industry, which is known for its unpredictability, he says, “I believe that relationships are simple.
I don’t party every night but when I’m with my industry friends, I respect them. Pehlwaan happened because of my relationships.
I’ve been a part of CCL (Celebrity Cricket League). It was formed eight years ago to foster bonds. To understand the showbiz and make it a platform for cross-pollination, talent exchange and so that everyone from the industry—cameraman, directors and artists—can come together.”