His last outing on the big screen was Ramana Avatara, a few months ago and now, he is gearing up for the release of his upcoming bilingual film Rudhra Garuda Purana which is set to hit the screens on December 27th. Actor Rishi, who has played a range of characters so far, is now set to play a detective in RGP, which is going to be released in Kannada and Telugu. On the personal front, he is excited about becoming a father soon. In a freewheeling chat with Provoke, the skilled artiste gets candid about playing an aggressive cop, his behind-the-scenes aspirations and more…

Tell us about your film Rudhra Garuda Purana. Is it based on a real-life incident?
The director, Nandeesh KN, was very fascinated by a story that he came across. There was a flight that took off from Miami but didn’t land anywhere. Apparently, 30 years later, a similar flight landed and there were a lot of conspiracy theories around it. He then came across certain stories in India and before he realised, he had a full-blown story in hand. Having worked on Puneeth Rajkumar’s Prithvi before, he knew about the workings of the police department. There’s something called the Horse and Band department in Mysore which is manned by the police department and the film focuses on my character Rudhra who gets demoted to that department. Rudhra is a cop who is idealistic and has his own sense of right and wrong. In the Horse and Band department, he barely has anything to do and gets really frustrated but then, he stumbles upon a case which is extremely mind-bending and that’s what the film is about. As for the Garuda Purana, it is a book that talks about the types of sins and how each sin is punished. That’s how Rudhra Garuda Purana came about.

You have already played a cop in Kavaludaari. What’s different this time around?
My character KS Shyam in Kavaludaari belongs to a completely different world from Rudhra’s. Rudhra is more sarcastic and aggressive. He’s someone who is a rule breaker and his upbringing and the way he lives his life is completely different from that of KS Shyam. This film is a completely original one.

Did you have to do any special preparation for the role, especially in terms of fitness?
I keep myself fit and maintain myself. As a professional actor, one has to be fit as we are using our face and body onscreen. As for preparing for the role, I had to try and understand if I could relate to what Rudhra wants and is going through. They were scenes where I could not understand why he reacted in a certain way and then I’d have to question why he’d behave that way. I took the help of the writer and director and then added my own approach to that – it was a very collaborative effort.

Do you have any special memories from the shoot?
One thing that I will always remember from this shoot is how efficient the team was. Everything happened as per schedule all the time, which is not the case with movies generally. I was impressed with that. As an actor, you have to up your professional game and be one step ahead when the team is that efficient.

You have ventured into Telugu films now. Tell us more about it.
I am working on finishing my Telugu commitments right now. Daaku Maharaj is the movie that I am doing with Balayya sir (Nandamuri Balakrishna) and it is releasing during Sankranti. I am also doing another film in Telugu for which I am shooting the climax. I have also taken up another project, which will go on floors at the end of January, but I can’t talk too much about it.

How different or the same was working in Tollywood as compared to Sandalwood?
I always wondered if working in other industries would be different but when I worked there, I didn’t really see any changes. It all depends on the director as each director has his or her own way of doing things. However, one thing that I see is that there are more walk-ins in Telugu movies, so there is more budget in Tollywood. The audience base is bigger too, so they have extra room to stretch their legs.

How are your Telugu speaking skills now?
I have picked up the language now and can understand it 100 percent. I converse in Telugu and in the coming days, I intend to make my conversational Telugu perfect as well. When I return to Bengaluru, I lose touch with the language and when I travel to Hyderabad, I get to brush up on my Telugu again.

Do you have any dream filmmakers who you want to work with?
There are a lot of directors that I want to collaborate with. A director focuses on the characterization and builds the characters. When I want to work on something, the director is very important irrespective of the scale of the project.

Do you have any aspirations of going behind-the-scenes for a project?
I am slowly realising that I do have a director in me which I did not know when I joined the film industry. If I do turn director, it will happen at the right time. Right now, my plate is full with acting projects. Acting and direction are two different entities – acting is about going inward with one character but direction is about going inward with multiple characters and having a bird’s eye view of the project. The focus and perspective towards both jobs are totally different and diametrically opposite, but direction is something I’d definitely consider in the future.

How do you like to spend your time when you are not working?
When I get time, I just want to sit and chill. I watch films that I have missed out on or I go out and experiment with food as I am a foodie. I like to spend time with family, enjoy conversations and talk about random things. I also enjoy travelling and playing badminton with my nephew. Doing simple things in life keeps me happy.

You’re going to be a father soon. How do you feel about that?
I’m super excited. I’ll be a very hands-on father. I want to be present and not miss out on anything. I’m adjusting my schedule to ensure that. The whole period of pregnancy and birth is one of the most beautiful processes. Our entire family is happy. I feel ready to be a parent and nurture and bring another life into this world.