Actor Sai Dharam Tej is back to court the megafans with his next movie, Virupaksha, after almost two years. Prior to the film’s release on April 21, the actor talks to Hyderabadi media about the movie, challenges he had while filming, and more.
Amartya Smaran
Not many are fortunate enough to have a second chance in life. When actor Sai Dharam Tej (SDT) met with a freak bike accident in September 2021, his life took a 180-degree turn. Everything turned upside-down. All hope was lost, but the mega family stood by him like a rock. Amidst all the media noise and exaggerated reports, SDT fought hard and recovered. Life isn’t the same for him anymore. Every second, minute, and hour counts. Above all, he is determined to make good films and spread laughter.
Nearly two years after the incident, SDT is ever so grateful to his family, friends, and fans. After the unforeseen incident, he would’ve never imagined in his wildest dreams that he could ever face the camera again. To the delight of mega fans, Supreme Hero Sai Dharam Tej is back with Karthik Varma Dandu’s mystical thriller titled Virupaksha. The film is written by ace director Sukumar and is all set for its release on April 21.
Virupaksha is set in the 1989–1991 time period, where mysterious deaths occur in this mystic village. Courage over fear is the motto of the protagonist, and SDT embarks on a journey to find out the cause behind these deaths. SDT himself is someone who’s scared of watching horror films. The Supreme actor has come a long way from being a reluctant horror genre filmgoer to starring in one. Remember! Black magic, too plays an important role in the film. In the midst of the chaos, we’ve got SDT fighting this formless, mysterious power.
The film stars Samyuktha, Sai Chand, Ajay, Abhinav Gomatam, et al. While Kantara fame Ajaneesh B Loknath scored the music, Shamdat handled the cinematography.
Talking about Kantara, the film is an eco-sensitive drama. The protagonist and his gang work against nature. We wondered if Virupaksha had taken the same route. The mysterious force, people revolting against some kind of mystic power, and the hero being the sole saviour of the village—somewhere, somewhere, it made us a tad curious.
“I think I would not compare it to Kantara,” replied Sai Dharam Tej in response to The Pioneer’s question in a recent press conference. “Kantara has become a cult classic. Virupaksha is a cult classic on its own. It will be something refreshing for people to see.”
The Republic actor says that he had to put in a lot of effort to act. He had to mould himself according to the time frame of the film and understand how men and women behaved in the late 80s and early 90s. The Jawaan star had no other choice but to adhere to the arc of his character.
The makers have asked SDT to refer to the famous Indiana Jones series. Talking about the same, the actor said, “I was given the reference to Indiana Jones because we’re exploring something in the film. It’s more about exploring the village and the cause behind the deaths. Indiana Jones was something that I saw in my childhood. That actually gave me a lot of high.”
His speech took a toll as a result of the accident, and he had to spend countless hours perfecting the dialogue. The workshops conducted by the makers proved fruitful, and SDT managed to pull off the herculean task with the support of his co-actors. All the actors were apparently really supportive and kind.
“Every part of my life was a challenge,” shared SDT, talking about the setbacks he had to face during the shooting process. “I had to take up a new challenge because one gets bored with the same old challenge. Every single day, I used to practise my lines and do a lot of things. I would shout all of a sudden, and people would think, ‘Why is he shouting?’ But it’s my line, I have to say it.”
“I think on the third day of the shoot I got the hang of myself,” continued the Chitralahari actor. “I understood that it was time for me to get used to the new me.”
When filmmaker Karthik Varma Dandu first narrated the story to him in 2019, he felt a jolt of energy run down his spine. He was extremely excited to be a part of the project. However, he revealed that he was expecting a love story now that Sukumar had written the film.
What if it’s not a love story? All is not lost, because Virupaksha marks SDT’s first pan-Indian film. The movie will be released in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi.
All told, the film has room for some romance as well. The love track between Sai Dharam Tej and Samyuktha is something to look out for. He playfully referred to Samyuktha as the ‘Golden Leg’, because every film that she stars in turns out to be a hit.
Speaking of Samyuktha with high regard, the actor ended, “I have to give credit to the kind of films she’s been selecting. She earned that respect and knows what to do. She’s very intelligent and super smart.”
