Dancer Sushant Pujari Makes Acting Debut as Villain in 'Wild Tiger Safari'

Speaking about his reaction when the role was offered, he said, “It was a mix of nervousness and excitement because I never imagined that I had this side within me. I was doing a show with Chandramouli sir & I asked him, ‘Why did you choose me to play Amar Shetty?’ and he said, ‘Sushant, whenever you speak on that show, you come across as honest, confident, and strong that’s exactly what I see in this character.’ I was nervous but thrilled too because till now, I’ve mostly been part of dancing films, apart from Flying Jatt. So, this project felt like a completely different and exciting journey for me.”

Opening up about the preparations for the film, he shared, “To be honest, I was initially unsure about how to approach the character because I had never done something like this before. Chandramouli sir guided me throughout the process, and I constantly took notes from him. Alongside that, I did my own research and trained under Saurabh sir, applying everything I learned to my performance. Even for me, seeing myself as this character was surprising it’s a completely new shade of me that I can’t wait for people to see.”

Speaking about the challenges of getting into the nuances of the character while leaving the dancer behind, he said, “It was quite challenging because the dancer in me will never truly go away. During the first two days on set, I was struggling to figure out how to approach Amar Shetty. But as I began reading the script, observing other characters, and understanding the scenes, things started falling into place. Chandramouli sir showed me a few references and told me, ‘Don’t copy anyone just be yourself.’ Once I found that space, everything came naturally. I was even scared of myself at times because of how brutal and intense I became during the performance.”

Talking about his working experience and learnings from the South industry, he shared, “Working in the South was an amazing experience. People there are extremely humble and treat you like family. They never shout or pressure you; instead, they give you creative freedom to explore your performance something I truly value about Chandramouli sir and his entire team. The production house had complete faith in me and gave me this huge opportunity. Honestly, I had never seen myself doing such a character, but their belief in me gave me confidence to give my best. It was challenging initially, but a deeply fulfilling experience.”

Lastly, speaking about why he chose to debut with this film and character, he said, “I chose Wild Tiger Safari because I absolutely loved the story. The character of Amar Shetty has so many layers and shades, and I’ve always wanted to be an actor, not just a hero. This role allowed me to explore every facet of my craft emotionally, physically, and mentally. The script and dialogues are exceptional, and working with the writer of KGF was another huge reason. Initially, Amar Shetty’s role wasn’t written to be this big, but during the shoot, Chandramouli sir told me he was so impressed with my performance that he expanded the character. That, for me, was the biggest compliment.”

The film also features debutant Shithil Poojari as the male lead, Nimika Ratnakar, and dancer Dharmesh, bringing together a fresh and exciting ensemble that promises to captivate audiences.