Sunil opens up on playing Mangalam Srinu in Pushpa The Rise; thanks Allu Arjun, Sukumar for their trust

The actor, who turned an antagonist with Colour Photo, will yet again be seen in a badass avatar in Pushpa

If Ala Vaikunthapurramulo brought back Sunil in the limelight as a comedian in his second innings, another Allu Arjun film, Pushpa, will have the actor,comedian turn a baddie in a rustic, badass avatar as Mangalam Srinu. Sunil surprised one and all with his antagonist act in Colour Photo in 2020 and hopes to create a similar impact with the pan Indian actioner that hits theatres on December 17. The pre release event of Pushpa The Rise, the first of the two-part action series, had Sunil opening up about his role in the project.

"I was at the same place, right in front of Allu Arjun, also in an event hosted by (anchor) Suma - for the pre-release event of Ala Vaikunthapurramulo the previous year. I had informed you that the film would satisfy you like a fulfilling wedding meal, as if you've welcomed us all into your homes for the price of your tickets. If Alaa Vaikunthapurramulo was a wedding meal, Pushpa is like a follow-up - a non-vegeterian reception meal, a full-fledged daawat. It may be okay to miss the wedding, but you can't afford to skip the reception," he said.

"Mark my words, Pushpa's ambience, characters, locations will continue to haunt you even a week after you've watched it. Generally, aspirant actors who wish to play a villain wait for 5-7 years to get an opportunity and accomplish their goal. It took over 300 films as a comedian and 10 films as a lead actor for me to essay a negative role in Pushpa. Not many thought of me as a villain even I flashed my six-pack abs on the screen as a hero. It took the conviction of a director like Sukumar and the strong trust of Allu Arjun for me to arrive at this stage," Sunil shared about his struggles to play a villain role.

Opening up on his only concern he has about Pushpa's Telugu version, Sunil stated, "When you watch Pushpa at the theatres, don't forget to take an image of Allu Arjun along with you. Please forget whatever I've done in the past and look at me like a new actor. Only if you accept me in this new avatar, I'll have the courage to try different roles. I don't have this worry about the audiences who watch me in other languages (apart from Telugu) because they'll presume I'm a villain directly. I am only worried about the reactions from Telugu audiences. I'll make you laugh in many more films but I hope to scare you a little in Pushpa."

Pushpa The Rise, directed by Sukumar, also features Rashmika Mandanna, Fahadh Faasil, Anasuya Bharadwaj, Rao Ramesh, Ajay Ghosh and Dhanunjaya in supporting roles. The shoot of the second part in the series will commence soon.

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