With Run, Sundeep Kishan is back in action. In this exclusive interview to IndiaGlitz, the young actor talks about his approach to his characters, what lesson by Krishna Vamsi he values the most, why time is very important for success, his best friends in the industry, and more.

What made you accept the role in Run?

When I watched Neram, I really liked it back then. But I never thought of a remake. Anil Sunkara garu called me up one day and asked me if I liked Neram He revealed that he wanted to remake it with me. Anil garu is like a brother to me. I value relationships and he has been one of the biggest well-wishers of mind. He asked me to believe in it. Run is a universal concept. I really love Alphonse's style, having watched Premam and Neram.

What challenges did you face reprising the role?

There was no challenge as such. I just have to be the character. It's not a commercial performance; it's a realistic one. I left it to the director and reposed total faith in him, and Rajsekhar garu, the DOP

Were you influenced by Nivin Pauly`s work?

I like his work. But I have brought to the table my own perception of the character. There is no over-the-top acting and situations in this movie. It's all very understated and subtle.

What factors determine your approach to a character?

It is based mostly on the way the character is defined. I have learnt a valuable lesson from Krishna Vamsi. He says that whatever may be the character, we should write the backstory, say, who are his parents, what is his education, etc. I then think about how he would behave in the present.

How was it working with Bobby Simha, the National Award-winning actor?

It was good fun working with him. He is a good friend of mine. My friend has produced a Tamil film with him. His character in Run is very tricky. It's very difficult to replace him. He is very serious, but also comes with a streak of comedy. When my director proposed his name, I told him that I can`t obligate him to do the role just because he is my friend. Meanwhile, one of the producers contacted him and convinced him to reprise his own role from the original. It was a blast working with him.

How was it working with Anisha Ambrose?

She is a very nice person, a down-to-earth person. I have got to work with very good human beings this time. Be it Anil garu, Rajsekhar garu, my director - everyone. I am taking very good memories.

How do you see successes and failures?

I give my best to entertain the audience. I know for a fact that I am not making films for myself. Keeping aside collections, I value the audience`s faith in me. People should say, 'Aa abbayi cinemalu baguntayi'. That's important. What panics me is the thought that someone didn`t like my film. I don`t detach from my movies after it's over. I am a very emotional person, who is emotionally connected to his work.

How do you choose your characters?

It depends on the story, again. I am very spontaneous. I don`t plan to do this or that kind of character. If I like a story, I am like cool. I get excited about the story before all. It`s a problem. I think about doing my character in a different way later. Earlier, I was going only by the scripts. Now, I am going a lot by the director also. My entire agenda nowadays is to go, do my job, and come back. Once I have locked the script, I am not bothered about other things. This has been my approach to Run, Okka Ammayi Tappa, and the two Tamil movies which I am doing.

So, do you have any regrets regarding the choice of movies?

Yes, I have a few. There was a time when I didn't know if I will have work tomorrow. As you know, I started off as a villain, then played one of the guys, and finally did solo hero's films Getting a solo hero's project was the biggest thing for me. So, I had to choose one among what was there on the platter. Now I have reached a stage where, I don`t accept unless I have confidence in the project. Thankfully, audience have been kind to me.

Are you afraid of the competition in the industry?

What`s competition? We are making films for people. As long as people say I will see him, I won`t see him`, there is no competition and everybody is doing well. We are all like a group of friends. So, I will be happy for everyone if their films, too, work.

How do you see the competition from Oopiri?

Nagarjuna garu is a huge star. I have watched him while growin up. I have immense respect for him. It`s not about competition. This is the best date we could have had. If Run is good, people will watch our film as well as Oopiri. Obviously, Oopiri is a bigger film. However, if Run is good, people will surely like to watch Run over the weekend.

How do you react to gossips?

I don`t know the gossips about me. I don`t bother about them unless they demean a person.

How would you describe the film Run?

It`s a fun film. It`s a fresh genre. It`s a story where time plays a hero as well as a villain. Even while being edge-of-seat, it keeps the audience smiling. To keep it in a nutshell, the concept is that if our time is good, we will get introduced to the world. If our time is bad, it will be the other way round. I have experienced this in the last one year. So, I feel it`s a universal concept.

What do you mean by learning it in the last one year?

I mean, we all undergo highs and lows. We have good times and bad times in different phases. Last year, my film Beeruva released on the same day as Pataas, which was a big hit. Of course, Pataas was a well-deserved hit. Days after Tiger, came Baahubali, which shut our film down. Thankfully we made our money. But the reach of Beeruva and Tiger could have been greater. I have seen who are true friends. Today I have the best people around me.

Who are your friends in the industry?

My best friend by default is