Bro has more commercial elements compared to the Tamil original: Ketika Sharma

Pawan Kalyan-Sai Dharam Tej’s Bro, written and directed by Samuthirakani. Trivikram pens the screenplay and dialogues for the film that will hit screens on July 28. People Media Factory, one of the leading production houses in Telugu cinema, has joined hands with ZEE Studios for this film.

Ketika Sharma plays the female lead opposite Sai Dharam Tej in Bro. As part of the film’s promotion, the actress shared her experience working for Bro during a media interaction on Monday.

Ketika Sharma says Bro has more commercial elements compared to the Tamil original Vinodhaya Sitham. “In the Tamil flick, there was a lesser scope for the female character to perform. Whereas in Bro, I’ve been given good screen space by the makers.”

Ketika Sharma couldn’t believe her luck when she heard that she would be given a role in the film which has Pawan Kalyan in it. “The moment I heard PK sir, I didn’t want to hear anything else. I wish I was a part of this movie. However, I don’t have any combination scenes with Pawan Kalyan. But there is one scene, in which I get a chance to be part of the same frame alongside PK sir, but I didn’t get scope to interact with him in the scene. That was the first time I met sir.”

Can you elaborate your character that you’re playing in Bro? “I am playing Mark’s girlfriend in the film. Sai Dharam Tej is playing the role of Mark. I am playing his love interest. My character has got to do with him and the relationship between both of us. It is a pretty performance-oriented role. The movie is fast-paced, every character on the screen adds to the story.”

Earlier you got a chance to play the female in Vaishnav Tej’s film Ranga Ranga Vaibhavanga, now you have landed in the project which has two heroes from the mega family, how do you feel?

“Very fortunate, in fact, it’s a coincidence that this project Bro came in my way when Ranga Ranga Vaibhavanga was actually in the last leg of shooting. I felt I didn’t want to miss this opportunity because Bro seemed like an interesting script. Like I said you know, the moment I heard this is a combination of PK sir and Sai Tej – this is going to be so exciting. I would want to watch it as a viewer when it arrives in cinema halls.

How do you find two personalities Vaishnav and Sai Dharam Tej?

They both have really contrasting personalities. I think Vaishnav Tej was a little more shy when I first met him on the sets of Ranga Ranga Vaibhavanga. Then if he gets comfortable with you, he will be like a child – playing around with everyone. And Sai Dharam Tej is not as shy as Vaishnav. He is very fun- laughing and mingling with people. But Vaishnav takes a little more time to open up.

Was there anything for you to improvise in Bro after watching the original Vinodhaya Sitham?

As I told you, there’s nothing much needed to improvise for my character in Bro. Because there’s nothing much that I can take from the original film. In this movie, I was given a few fun dialogues by Trivikram sir which I had to do to the best of my performance. Bro is a very tight script. Samuthirakani didn’t take too much time to shoot the film. Everyone was prepared that they should give their best in the first go.

In the third single Jaanavule, you looked so stylish. There’s an appreciation for the song from fans, how do you see it?

Well, I had the privilege to work with famous designer Neeta Lulla, who had actually worked for PK sir costumes in the film. She has put very nice looks together. Jaanavule song is one of the best experiences of my film career in Tollywood. I didn’t have the opportunity to dance earlier. This is the first song, where I got the chance to shake a leg. We shot it in a picturesque location in Austria.”

Ketika Sharma says she was initially scared to meet PK. “When I told Sai Tej to make her meet PK sir, then I happened to meet him and say hello to him. It was just five minutes of the meeting.

I feel like Bro is a message-oriented film. This is the first time I am part of an artsy, message-giving film. It is going to add to my work. Because Bro is a different space compared to my previous films.

Speaking about the director Samuthirakani, Ketika says the director was so clear about his vision. “He knew what he wanted. He knew his frames. And he goes very quickly, wraps the shoot in no time. It was fun shooting with him for Bro. Audiences would like to watch Bro for its message,” she adds.

Speaking about the production house People Media Factory, the actress says, “It was a great experience working with one of the film production giants in Tollywood – People Media Factory. They pamper every artiste so well, I think I’ve been so comfortable and fortunate to have worked with them. Production-wise, with everything I made. I was taken good care of by the production house. It was a lovely experience working with him.