Sree Vishnu has been constantly in the media eye for nearly an year now, and only for the good reasons. The actor has seen three back-to-back releases in the span of the last 12-13 months. After the full fledged family entertainer Samajavaragamana and the raunchy youth comedy Om Bheem Bush, the actor is returning to the screens with SWAG, which is scheduled to hit theatres on October 4. SWAG is written and directed by Hasith Goli, with whom the actor had previously collaborated with on in 2021’s Raja Raja Chora.
Sree Vishnu’s previous film Om Bheem Bush particularly stood out because of the way it experimented with certain notions of masculinity and femininity in its third act. Sree Vishnu had taken certain risks that very few mainstream actors would take. Speaking about the process of integrating conventionally risky elements into Om Bheem Bush, Sree Vishnu says that he believes in taking risks slowly and steadily. “We did not want to shock and alienate the viewers immediately. Which is why we combined those scenes with some comedy. Om Bheem Bush has a smaller budget, so we had the liberty of taking such experiments. I want to slowly build my image as a star who backs risky storytelling. Which is why we released Om Bheem Bush first, even though there were other films in the pipeline. In a way, it was a small test. I can say this, now that the film is out,” explains Sree Vishnu.
SWAG continues the streak of high-quality, concept-based storytelling that Sree Vishnu wishes to unleash upon the audience. The actor mentions that Hasith and he got the idea for SWAG while surveying the first copy of Raja Raja Chora. “We walked out of the viewing theatre and discussed some possibilities in the story that haven’t been explored in Raja Raja…Hasith picked up these lines and developed an entire story. The scope of SWAG is vast and ambitious and this time around, we also had the budget to support this ambition and take things to the next level,” reveals Sree Vishnu.
Sree Vishnu is confident of SWAG’s outcome in the box office, saying that there is something in this movie for everyone. “From a five-year-old to sixty-year-old, everybody will love SWAG. I play multiple characters in this film, and each character I have played will find an audience in a particular demography. Older people will find Yayathi relatable, while youngsters will find Singa cool,” says Sree Vishnu.