My kids didn’t like me getting hit: Sudheer Babu

I hate bad guys. On screen as much as the ones off it. So, I always cheer when the bad guys get beaten up in films. And cover my eyes or bury them in my phone when the good ones are getting walloped. Yes, I never really grew up. But when I saw Baaghi, where Sudheer Babu makes his Hindi film debut as a baddie, I didn’t really enjoy watching him getting thrashed.

There was something endearing about this villain. I’d give equal credit to the actor and the writer, for making this character endearing. He poisons his father, and watches him cold-bloodedly, as he takes his last breath, yet I couldn’t bring myself to hate him. Something about him screams ‘goodfella’, even though he is doing horrid things on screen. That’s quite a feat.

I had to meet Sudheer and solve this mystery. Why would an established actor in the South make a debut in a Hindi film as a scoundrel? Yes, the role was good. But surely, he was advised not to accept the part. When I meet him at the suburban hotel he is staying at, he explains why he did the film, the experience and his plans ahead. Read on...  

How did you bag Baaghi?

They’d seen some of my videos on YouTube from my first film in 2010. I started with a small negative role. I don’t know how they got to know about it. It was my sister-in-law’s production, so she just asked me casually if I would do the part. At that time, I never thought of taking up films as a career. I just did the role. But during the process of that film, I thought I should make films my career. Okay, coming back to your question, they saw my videos on YouTube.

What videos were these?

The stunts I had done for my first film. Inspired by Jackie Chan’s films (I’m a big fan), where one sees the behind-the-scenes footage of the stunts he does in those films, during the end credits. So, even though my first film was a love story — I had some dance sequences as well — I loaded that in the end credits. The Baaghi team saw that and called me for an audition. Initially, I wanted to say no because I have a lot of work in the South. But once they told me the script, I found it very interesting, and I signed on.

You were into sports. What inspired you get into acting?

I was a badminton player. I believe that in life, it’s not necessary to have just one goal. Your goals keep changing.

Was acting one of your goals?

No. Initially, I wanted to be a badminton player, but like you know, in India you can’t make a living through sports. So, my parents wanted me to focus on my education. I quit badminton and did just that. After that, acting just happened. Govind Menon directed my first film and for the first scene given to me, I had to deliver a lengthy dialogue in Malayalam. They gave me the lines one day before but while shooting it I couldn’t do it.  Either I couldn’t give the right expressions or I was missing on the dialogues. So Gautam said ‘You can use English here and there and just finish the lines’. He was happy and everybody was happy. But that stayed with me and I continued to practise even after the shoot. After the scene was over, for a few days, few months, I just kept rehearsing that.  So I realised then that acting is something I enjoy.

Acting happened to you by fluke. What if it hadn’t happened?

 I would have taken care of my dad’s business or something.  We manufacture pesticides and insecticides. That’s nowhere related to what I do now.

You have received a rousing reception from both the audience and the critics alike for your portrayal in Baaghi. Were you expecting such a reaction?

I thought people would recognise me and my work for sure, because there was a lot of scope for performance in that character, but not to this magnitude. Whatever the appreciation I have been receiving right now is

Overwhelming, right? You’ve done many films as a lead hero down South. What was it that made you choose the villain’s path in Bollywood?

Initially, I was worried because I have been doing lot of lead roles in South. My family is into films. Senior superstars like Krishna (Sudheer’s father-in-law) and Mahesh (his brother-in-law) have brought a lot of fans to the family. I was worried that if I do the negative role, I will lose the fans. But I am really surprised right now, in case you see me Twitter or Facebook, you will see lot of female fans appreciating me. It might be also the character that I played because Sabbir sir said to me, ‘Don’t consider your role as a villain, perform like you are the hero of the film. It’s just that you have certain weaknesses.”

Tiger Shroff is quite easily the best young action hero today. Was it tough to match him in the fight scenes?

I was initially scared because Tiger has been doing all these stunts from early childhood. So fights and gymnastics come naturally to him. But the team trained me properly for almost three months. Then, what I realised was, it just looks tough, but it’s all doable. Once you attempt it, once you practise, it isn’t so tough to match up.

Tell me about the training.

(Smiles) I was training like I was preparing for the Olympics. I was training in the morning and evening, my diet was perfect, I was sleeping on time, with no other activity happening. I was in Mumbai all the time, but I think in three months, I must have gone out two to three times. It was hectic. I trained in many different forms, and had different trainers for all. I learnt rowing for that boat race scene, I learnt kalaripayattu and Shefu, who, played my father in the film, taught me to use the Urumi. And mixed martial arts from Kecha, who choreographed the final stunt. They asked me to bulk up, to look bigger on screen. I put on almost eight kgs. I was eating almost everything that came my way. The training was non-stop. In the film, Tiger gets inspired by seeing me, so I had to be a very skilled person and they gave me enough time to train.

Not many people are aware that you are related to Telugu superstar Mahesh Babu. What was his reaction to you doing Baaghi, since he has chosen not to do a Hindi film himself? Didn’t he try dissuade you?

No Mahesh didn’t, but lot of other friends, they did say, ‘Why do you want to do a negative role? You are doing so good over here.’ But I want to be recognised as a good actor. So, for me, playing a lead or a negative character doesn’t matter. If you are a good actor, down the line you get to play lead roles also. That’s what happened for me down South also. I started off with a negative role.

What was Mahesh’s reaction to you doing Baaghi?

Mahesh was really happy. He had seen some of my demos earlier, which are not on YouTube and he told me, ‘To portray all the skills, you need to grow to a certain level.  So when he got to know that I am going to do a Hindi film with Tiger, he was really happy because he felt I could use all the skills that I have learnt in this film. After seeing the film, he was really appreciative and tweeted saying I was sensational.

Now, maybe you  can convince him to do a Hindi film.

Nobody can convince Mahesh, I mean lot of people tried earlier. I don’t know why he has never thought about doing a Hindi film. He is an absolute fit over here.

He must have had a lot of offers, I am sure.

Yes, I don’t know why he has stayed away.  But right now, he is trying in his own way. He is trying to dub his films in all languages possible.

South heroines have always worked better than South heroes. Why do you think that is?

I think the audience pulse is different as compared to the South films, so is the reach to the scripts and also a lot of characters over here are more glamorised and actors work a lot on their bodies, etc. Also you need to look North Indian. A lot of heroes have tried, but to be very frank, none of them could make a mark here.  It’s not that they are not talented, there might be other requirements to be successful in Bollywood.

Like speaking Hindi fluently?

Hindi is one. But you have to go case to case. My Hindi is not very good, but I have improved a lot from the time I came here. My voice in the film was dubbed. But I learnt my lines and whatever I have done, they have just dubbed that. But the diction and all was mine.  It wasn’t like the dubbing artiste was trying to add something different to that.

It’s strange that someone like Fawad Khan comes from across the border and gets acceptance. South heroes, however, are not able to find a foothold here.

(Smiles) Now that Rana (Daggubatti) and I have started, more people will come in.

What was your perception of Bollywood when you came here. Has that changed?

I thought it was really hard to get into Bollywood. It’s not easy, but I was really welcomed and received well. I heard some stories about how they don’t treat actors properly,  but didn’t experience anything like that. It was really good. I mean, in case you are talented, they appreciate it.  I could see that.

Also have you met anybody from Bollywood?

Not really. No one apart from the team I worked with.

Usually, Tiger trains a lot on set when he is shooting. Did you get a chance to train with him?

Ya, I mean the scenes and the fight stunts were also rehearsed very well.  It’s important to have good co-ordination with each other. Action, I would say, is like dance. You need to have the right timing, I mean, whenever the opposite person is hitting you, you have to duck down and all that stuff.  

What are the reactions of your friends and colleagues back home?

Initially, there was a slight negativity when they got to know that I had signed a Bollywood film. They said things like, ‘Why is this guy going to Bollywood? He is doing so good here. He is so greedy.’ They pointed out that a lot of people have gone from South and very few people were successful. But after the release of the trailer, that changed and after the release, the negativity was completely gone. They were happy because they saw that it was not an everyday character. A lot of effort had gone into the character and they are also proud that a big banner from the North came searching for a person from the South and they have taken one Telugu guy.

You had a lot of scenes with Shraddha in the film; even fight scenes. How is your camaraderie with her off-screen?

It’s good. I mean, definitely, she is one of the prettiest girls I have worked with. Before the shoot, I had seen her film Aashiqui 2 and I thought she had done a fabulous job. She was so good that I thought she was like that in real-life. But once I met her on the shoot, I was really surprised to see that she was quite the opposite. She is very talkative and will pull your leg, etc. She is actually closer to the character she played in Baaghi as compared to Aashiqui 2 and she helped me a lot with typical meanings of Hindi dialogues. It was really good working with her.

You have two children, what did they think of the film?

(Laughs) My kids are five and seven and they didn’t like it. They have a bunch of friends and some of their parents are actors. They have discussions and they didn’t like this one because I got hit and they feel bad about that. My wife was very happy.  She is always proud that I have got this offer on my own. Like when I came for my audition, even the Baaghi team didn’t know that I am part of some superstar family down South.

Baaghi has opened up new avenues for you. What kind of offers you are getting now?

For me, a negative role or a positive role doesn’t matter. What I look at, is whether I have scope for performance. Down the line, after 20 years, I feel I have to be recognised as a good actor.

To be successful in Bollywood, you need to be a part of it. And for that, you need to be here 24/7. Are you willing to shift bag and baggage to Mumbai?

Yes, I am trying to do that, I am trying to pick a house over here, so that I am easily accessible. But at the same time, I won’t leave Tollywood. In case there are no cultural differences or something, I will simultaneously do a bi-lingual film. And with me, there is always that scope for the producer wherein there is that safety over there, a `10 crore market over there, so all they have to do is spend a couple of crores more and you can make a Bollywood film.

After Tiger, any other actors on your wish list?

Akshay Kumar is one of my favourites.  I’ve grown up seeing him and Hrithik Roshan and almost everyone’s on the list. I wish I get a chance to work with all the top actors. When you work with people like those, that’s when your real calibre is shown.

Do you watch Hindi movies? Any favourites?

I do watch Hindi movies regularly. The most recent ones were Bajirao Mastani and Bajrangi Bhaijaan. Superb films, actually.