Sushanth on his digital debut with ZEE5 series: The moment I read the script, I was sure I had to do this

Actor Sushanth, who turned a new leaf in his career by exploring the character artiste in him with Alaa Vaikunthapurramulo, is being picky about his projects lately. After Ichata Vahanamulu Niluparadu last year, he has only committed to two projects - Ravanasura and a web show for ZEE5 directed by Lakshmi Sowjanya, the brain behind Varudu Kaavalenu. In a recent promotional event for ZEE5's upcoming show Gaalivaana, Sushanth also conveyed his excitement about making his digital debut.

"I was in Cheerala, shooting for the show in the entire month of March. I was just telling my mom that I didn't miss Hyderabad much. We finished our shoot at peace there without any hindrance. This is my first OTT project. There have been a lot of discussions going on over the last two years about my digital debut but I was looking for the right project, and script to get into. The ZEE5 team made me listen to a new script and I am very thankful to them," he said.

The actor plays a cop in the show with various shades. Talking about it, he shared, "My role in the web show is completely different from all the films I've done to date. I didn't want to get typecast in a certain zone and wanted to prove my versatility. The first thing that caught my attention was the writing. The moment I read the script, I was sure I had to do this. I am confident you'll see a new Sushanth through this show. There's a terrific team behind it, be it the director Lakshmi Sowjanya, Priya Anand and an amazing cast, and crew."

Sushanth has brought out his energetic side to the show, a fact that he's very happy about. "I had to open up a lot for my performance in the show, this was also what the director told me at the beginning of the shoot. I had opened myself to an extent that they had to control my energy later. I enjoyed shooting for it completely. I didn't have any dilemma about venturing into web shows, cinema and OTTs are here to co-exist. This is a great showcase of talent. I am glad to be working in the digital medium in its evolution phase. I am waiting for the audience's verdict."

While responding to the comparisons between feature films and web shows, Sushanth stated, "Right the moment I began shooting for the show till now, this experience was no less than a feature film - the cast, the scale, the equipment and the budget. They've shot it exactly like a film. I didn't sense any difference. Unlike a film, I would keep asking the team about the episode that we're shooting for, and the scene before and after a particular shot. This was a new habit. It took me time to adapt to reading a web show script. I don't want to reveal too much about it - You'll know what #MNT means in a few weeks."