Exclusive! Sarath Kumar talks about daughter Varalaxmi, sharing screen space with her in Pirandhal Parasakthi

Actor, politician Sarath Kumar is probably in the best phase of his career, going beyond his mass-hero image and trying his hand at a variety of roles. White, black or grey - any shade, he says 'bring it on' and that he is ready to give a good shot at it. Last seen in the Telugu web series, Parampara, directed by Krishna Vijay L and Vishwanath Arigela, streaming on Disney+ Hotstar, Sarath Kumar is next eagerly waiting for Ponniyin Selvan to release and for the tide to swing in his favour. 

Meanwhile, he's also getting ready to share screen space with his daughter Varalaxmi Sarathkumar in Pirandhal Parasakthi, a film that was to commence shoot in 2020 but postponed owing to the pandemic. The film has faced multiple delays owing to the commitments of its lead actors - Sarath Kumar, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar and Radhika. Finally, it looks like there's some clarity about it. In an exclusive conversation with OTTplay, Sarath Kumar spills the beans about the film and tells us why he's so proud of his daughter's growth as an artiste.

"I'm very proud of Varalaxmi because she has moulded herself into an actor than just a heroine material. Her span as an actress would've come down if she only played the regular heroine roles. Now, she has become a complete actor," he says. Apparently, Sarath Kumar first noticed her acting talent in a musical stage play called Cat, where a young Varalaxmi had moulded her body language like a cat, studying their movements, behaviour extensively before she got to the stage. 

"There was a standing ovation for her performance in the Chennai Music Academy when I watched her perform in Cat. She is also a talented dancer and is now taking up different roles that have eventually made her stand out as a performer. As an actor, she has shined well and I'm happy for her," Sarath Kumar states. One factor that the two share in common is their love to pick up new languages. "She's also a linguist like me and can also communicate in Spanish."

Elaborating on sharing screen space with her daughter, he adds, "We will get into the production of Pirandhal Parasakthi in the coming May or June 2022 because all of us - me, Radhika and Varalaxmi- have our schedules full. We'll start it around June/July and wrap it up fast." The actor is also part of big-ticket films like Virumaan, Puneeth Rajkumar's last film James, aha's web show titled Irai (The Bird Prey), another Kannada film Raymbo alongside Rogue actor Ishan.