In 2012, Sudhanshu Pandey forayed into Tamil films with Billa 2, playing the main antagonist to South actor Ajith and four years later, the Singh Is Kinng actor is sharing screen space with superstar Rajinikanth in 2.0. “It’s like a medal for me, and most of my scenes are with him,” gushes Sudhanshu, who is completely bowled over by Thalaiva, as he is known in the South.
“The way he greets you, the kind of humility and aura he has! There is a certain kindness in his eyes. He is deeply spiritual and so am I. I could connect with that aura instantly and that made me bend down and touch his feet, which I have never done for anyone in the industry,” he elaborates.
Not only that, after a particular scene, which had Sudhanshu delivering a long dialogue, the superstar clapped and gave him two thumbs-up. “It was a proud moment for me,” he enthuses. On the last day of the shoot, Rajinikanth presented him a book, Living With The Himalayan Masters. “It had a sweet note from him. He also said, ‘This book changed my life and I want you to read this’,” says the 44-year-old actor.
Considering he has a spiritual bent of mind, how difficult is it for him to play a baddie? “It depends on how evil the character is. For someone like me, who is religious and prays a lot, it is extremely challenging. I really need to sit back, explore my mind to touch the dark side and think evilly. But, as an actor, it is important to play any sort of character as it helps you grow,” he surmises.
Interestingly, Akshay Kumar, who was instrumental in giving Sudhanshu a break with Khiladi 420, is making his debut in Tamil cinema with 2.0 as the main antagonist. “I have only one scene with Akshay during the climax, though I started my first schedule with him in Delhi. He got me Khiladi 420 after seeing me in a beer commercial. Since then, his family and mine have kept in touch. I don’t meet him that often, but whenever we do, we have fun. He is a happy soul, always joking around. More importantly, he speaks only in Punjabi with me as he loves it. He is a desi boy and I also come from that background,” laughs Sudhanshu.
Having got a firm foothold in Tamil cinema, the actor is now straddling Bollywood and South films. He is currently shooting for Mahesh Manjrekar’s directorial, playing the villain in Neil Nitin Mukesh’s production Bypass, and is part of Prabhudheva’s next in Tamil.
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 "Rajinikanth and Sudhanshu Pandey")
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