Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas awaits the release of 'Rakshasudu' on August 2. In this interview, catch him talk about what makes it special, playing the role of a cop, what kind of movies he wants to do and more.

An inspiring film

The film touches upon certain social issues. I have become more informed about certain unfortunate incidents in our society after I started doing 'Rakshasudu'. There is a unique point in the film that talks about what needs to be done with the issues. The making of the film has disturbed me somewhat. We don't make much fuss about sexual harassment incidents, etc. We tend to forget them once we are done reading them in newspapers. When I watched the Tamil original, I was instantly inspired by its depiction of issues.

Put my heart

I have failed as a cop once, with 'Kavacham'. This time, I have played an understated cop. 'Rakshasudu' is an edge-of-the-seat thriller. The entire second half depicts my character's pain. In terms of performances, ours is better than the original. I put my heart into my acting for the first time in my career. That's how much the film has touched me.

A strong story at its heart

We have shot the film in raw and realistic locations. The content demands such realism. The flavour of the original was retained. Besides driving social awareness, the film also has a strong story. I worked really hard on every scene. Night shoots went on for several days without any breaks even on Sundays. Having worked so hard, I want to go to the US on a long holiday.

Both intense and racy

The hero is in a helpless, dejected state of mind in the second half. We have portrayed that in an intense manner. It's a fast-paced film that is based on tracking a serial killer. I urge the audience to watch it with a fresh mind without judging me on the basis of my previous films.

Edge-of-the-seat till the climax

I am very confident that I have done a very good job in the film. Many have told me that I have done better than the hero in the Tamil version. The climax has an international flavour in it. Even after the villain's identity is known, the film continues to pique curiosity till the last minute. The characters are fresh to the core.

Content matters

I have worked with commercial directors like Vinayak garu and Boyapati Srinu garu. Of late, there are not many commercial filmmakers out there. We have to start believing in content. Coming to 'Rakshasudu', it's totally content-based.

I have learned from the failure of 'Saakshyam', 'Kavacham' and 'Sita'. My films may have failed but my producers have always made money. I want to satisfy my father completely. Even if you come from a film background, at the end of the day, you have to work hard. Everybody has to work hard here to be able to survive.

A receptive team

Previously, I used to follow my technicians and director. But this team was open to suggestions. My director, Ramesh Varma, was receptive. It was a totally friendly atmosphere. The cinematographer, Venkat, is a young guy.

No heroism, only story

It's not easy to find good stories nowadays. I am not limited to doing massy movies. 'Sita' and 'Rakhasudu' are not massy at all. In 'Sita', I get beaten up. Coming to 'Rakshasudu', the content speaks for itself. There are no hero-elevation shots, slow-mo shots, etc. It's just the story that matters.

'Alludu Seenu' is the only film that was totally based on heroism. Barring that film, I have always done content-oriented films. 'Rakshasudu' is at another level. I haven't signed any film further. Two-three films were in the pipeline but I have shelved them all.