Tarak Ponnappa: Pushpa 2 will be a gamechanger movie for my career

A few days ago, when the trailer of Allu Arjun’s much-awaited Pushpa 2: The Rule came out, one character, in particular, stood out and had netizens going berserk. They loved the look – sporting a half-bald pate, big red bindi, earrings, septum piercing, and what appears to be a garland of chappals around the neck. It was a shot lasting barely a couple of seconds in the trailer, but enough to have audiences wondering who was playing the character. “Initially, people thought it was Fahadh Faasil or Daali Dhananjaya; it was much later that they realized that it was a Kannada actor,” says Tarak Ponnappa, the man of the hour.

Tarak, who’s been a part of films like Yash’s KGF and late Puneeth Rajkumar’s James, among others, has not been seen in Kannada cinema for a while, and is, instead, busy with work in Tollywood. Most recently, he was seen in Jr NTR’s Devara as Pasura, the son of Bhaira (Saif Ali Khan). His next biggie in Telugu is Pushpa 2 – The Rule, which releases on December 5, a film that he’s excited to have audiences see. In a quick conversation with OTTplay from the set of Pushpa 2, where he was finishing up some patchwork as well as the dubbing, Tarak spoke about the lack of quality work in Kannada cinema, the recognition he’s getting across the border, and all things Pushpa. 

Excerpts from the tete-a-tete with Tarak Ponnappa about Pushpa 2 - The Rule…

You’ve not been seen in Kannada cinema circles for a while. What’s happening?

My last film in Kannada was the James; it was a very small part, as most of my portions were cut at the editing table. The Kannada film industry is going through a low phase – not many films are happening, and producers aren’t backing good content. That’s maybe one of the reasons a few actors, including me, are travelling around and working in other industries. Ultimately, we have to look after our livelihoods as well.

Also, in Telugu films, especially, makers are actively promoting new talent and giving them the right platform. They respect talent and that’s what I felt during the making of Pushpa 2. They look into what is required for a character – it’s not just about the status of the actor. It really doesn’t matter how ‘big’ an actor is; what does is if how he has performed in the audition and if he really fits the character.

To be honest, I felt bad that talent was not at all being recognised in Sandalwood. I would be offered very basic roles, looking only at my physical personality and nothing else. Being part of certain films looks good on the resume, but if I were to look at what I did in these movies, there’s not much to talk about.

In Pushpa 2, I believe I have got the due recognition that I have been looking for. I got to shoot a lot of great sequences here. Pushpa 2, I believe, will be the film that will well and truly give me a foothold in films. After December 5, I am very sure that my career graph will see an upswing.

How did Pushpa 2 happen?

I had sent across my showreels to the team Pushpa, which included bits of me from my Kannada film Gilky. It has helped me a great deal in finding work. When I show prospective film teams my work from routine commercial movies and then what I did in Gilky, it is only then that they realize my range as an actor. Gilky, I would say, is the film that has opened doors for me to auditions and look tests, etc., including for Pushpa 2.

Director Sukumar sir was quite happy with my showreel and called me to his office. Once he saw me in person, I guess he got a better idea of how I actually look and if I could be cast in any role. I was given a look test, which fell in place and that is how I came on board.

Your look from the film has gone viral…Did you expect that?

I was hoping that once the film releases, my character and that look would create a buzz. One brief glimpse creating this kind of impact was not even in my wildest dreams. There is a certain expectation now of what I will bring to the table and that feels really great. I am looking forward to the release and having people see the full impact of the character.

I am, of course, not at liberty to reveal much about the role itself, but what I can say is that it is a major character, one who literally changes Pushpa’s life around, in different ways.