'I get bored very fast'

There was a time when actor Sumanth Shailendra reserved his weekends to go on long rides on his Hayabusa with his friends. 

He recalls that he was so crazy about bikes and racing that he would sneak out of his house in the wee hours on Sunday only to return after dusk. Such was his craze for bikes. 

But now, Sumanth struggles to find time to even occasionally indulge in his passion for racing. Back-to-back projects have kept him on his toes.

But Sumanth has got a chance to hit the racing tracks once again thanks to his latest project ‘Cherry’. He plays the role of a racer who also happens to be someone who is averse to anything to do with love and believes that the answer to a stable marriage lies in an arranged alliance. 

“I go by the character of Charan in the movie. The title ‘Cherry’ is the short form of Charan. His first love is bikes and at a time when his friends in college are going gaga over girls, he chooses to steer clear of romance. But how he finally falls in love forms the crux of the story,” reasons Sumanth. 

As for his looks for the role, Sumanth has undergone a transformation of sorts. “It’s a total change of look from my last project. We spent six hours at the salon to figure out which hairstyle would suit the character. Even the moustache was done in a certain style. Such was the effort put in to make the character look perfect.” 

Talking more about the role, Sumanth says that it’s a strong, independent one.

“In the movie, Charan’s father doesn’t part with money to support his races.
Charan earns on his own in college through these races,” he says. Sumanth can’t help but share his own craze for bikes. “My parents were against me riding a bike until I was in my second-year degree. After that, my father gifted me a red Hayabusa. But I soon outgrew my love for a Hayabusa and wanted something stronger and perhaps, a little meaner as well. I get bored very fast,” he avers.  

While the shooting for ‘Cherry’ is progressing at a steady pace, Sumanth is finalising the release date for his own production and another Sadu Kokila’s directorial in which he plays a prominent role.