Don’t mind taking a backseat, let others shine: Prithviraj Sukumaran

Mumbai, Mar 27 (PTI) As an actor, Prithviraj Sukumaran says he doesn't mind taking a backseat for a film and letting other stars shine, like in his upcoming big-ticket release in Hindi, “Bade Miyan Chote Miyan”, where he plays the antagonist.

The Malayalam star, who has starred in Hindi titles such as “Aiyyaa”, “Aurangzeb" and “Naam Shabana”, features alongside Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff in the action movie, directed by Ali Abbas Zafar.

"I believe that rather than placing yourself first, place the film and make sure the casting is done in a way that justifies the story... If you look at my filmography in Malayalam, there are multiple films where I’ve taken a backseat in terms of screen time," Sukumaran told PTI.

The 41-year-old actor gave the example of his 2021 movie “Kuruthi”, in which he played the antagonist, even though he was offered the main lead part by the film's director Manu Warrier.

"‘Kuruthi’ was first pitched to me to play the lead, which was played by Roshan Mathew. It took a lot of convincing on my part to convince the director Manu Warrier that I should play the villain, and someone else should be the hero," said the actor, known for starring in “Salaar”, “Lucifer”, “Kaaviya Thalaivan” and “Ravananan” in the south.

"Bade Miyan Chote Miyan" will see Akshay and Tiger perform death-defying stunts as they play two elite soldiers who embark on a mission to recover a stolen AI weapon.

Though the movie features Kumar and Shroff in lead roles, it is incomplete without the presence of his character Kabir, Sukumaran added.

“In ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’, there’s Akshay sir, he is one of the biggest stars of the country, and there’s Tiger, a very popular young star from Hindi. I can assure that without Kabir, the film is incomplete." Sukumaran praised Kumar for leading a disciplined lifestyle where he is able to strike a balance between his professional and personal life.

“They are professional, focused and good at action. Working with Akshay sir has been an eye-opening experience. The way he approaches work, like he is ready at 7:00 am and you will never see him tired on a set. He is always full of energy and leads a rigid, disciplined lifestyle,” he said.

“There’s an amazing fun side to him. When we were shooting in Glasgow, Scotland, he would take us out for dinner. I got to see the wonderful relationship that he shares with his son (Aarav), he is a great dad,” he recalled.

Produced by Pooja Entertainment in association with AAZ, “Bade Miyan Chote Miyan” will hit the screens on the occasion of Eid on April 10. It also stars Manushi Chhillar and Alaya F. PTI