“K eeping the image of Shivarajkumar in mind, I had to underplay the character of Rahim in the Kannada version of Shivalinga ,” says a visibly elated Shakthi (son of director P. Vasu). “Though I shed the chocolate boy image in Tharkappu , it will be evident in Shivalinga ,” says Shakthi.
Agreeing that it is much easier to prove his calibre in a role “that was demanding in terms of body language and the shades of negativity in it”, Shakthi says that the comparison ended with the name.
“Every other aspect got a different look in the remake, with a different budget. With Lawrence and Vadivelu on board, things are different. The confrontations between Rahim and the detective (Lawrence) were in a different league. That has been the strength of my father, much like how Chandramukhi was made for a different kind of audience from the Kannada original, Apthamitra .”
Shakthi says that he had to work overtime to get the final nod. “I had to get the body language right, make sure that the stubble was in the right place, and that the dialogues flowed without prompting.”
k v vasudevan
