Prajwal Devaraj: In the pursuit of universal stories, our films are missing a local flavour; Veeram remedies that

Kannada cinema’s Dynamic Prince Prajwal Devaraj’s first release of the year, Veeram, will be in theatres on April 7. The Khadar Kumar directorial is an action-based entertainer and pairs Prajwal with Rachita Ram and has the actor playing a hardcore Vishnuvardhan fan. Veteran actress Shruthi plays Prajwal’s sister in the film and it is her love for the Sahasa Simha that rubs off on her younger sibling. “I am lucky to have been born into a family, where I grew up surrounded by the greats of the Kannada film industry, including Vishnu uncle (Vishnuvardhan). But I have not had a lot of opportunities to show my love and respect for him. I got that opportunity with Veeram,” Prajwal said during a pre-release media briefing, adding that the character was written as a Vishnuvardhan fan to reflect director Khadar Kumar’s undying love for the late actor.

Veeram, meanwhile, is releasing in Kannada only, in a day and age when pan-India outings are becoming the order of the day. What does Prajwal think of this trend? According to the actor, the OTT boom has propelled the need for universal stories that work across languages. “Today, it is no longer about only impressing audiences back home; you need to be able to connect with people across the country. But then, in this pursuit of universal stories, what happens is that these tales miss out on a local essence and flavour. Veeram, I think, ticks that box. When audiences watch the film, they will be able to relate to it,” he said, speaking to a Kannada digital platform.

On April 7, Veeram has competition from multiple Kannada films, including Nam Nani Madve Prasanga, Pentagon and Ramachari 2.0. After this, Prajwal has an explosive cop caper called Mafia, directed by Lohith H, of Mummy Save Me fame. The filmmaker had recently announced that principal photography has been completed.