Sundeep Kishan On Headlining Jason Sanjay Directorial, Friendship with Lokesh Kanagaraj, and More

After a slam-dunk of a 2024 in which both Captain Miller and Raayan got him the coveted theatrical success that Sundeep Kishan has been hustling for, the actor-producer is now set to star in the directorial debut of Jason Sanjay (superstar Vijay’s son).

Since making his film debut in 2010, the talented Kishan — known for his performances in films like Maanagaram (2017), Shor in the City (2010) and Venkatadri Express (2013), as well as the web series The Family Man (2019) — says he’s finally sure of his place in the industry, and what he wants to be known for.

Excerpts from a conversation:

Your upcoming film with Jason Sanjay is an exciting collaboration that Tamil cinema is looking forward to. How did this come about?

So I had met Vijay sir during the pooja of Leo, and he mentioned that his son was going to debut as a director, and added that Jason Sanjay really likes my work a lot. Lokesh laughed it off saying that Vijay sir was just being nice to me. But then, just a few months later, I got a call about Sanjay wanting to narrate his story to me. It was a real surprise, but then Sanjay came down to Hyderabad and gave me a kick-ass narration that lasted for almost two and a half hours! I said yes immediately.

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I was really impressed with his film language and the effort he’s putting into his directorial debut. He also has this massive responsibility of doing justice to his father’s legacy, and to satisfy Vijay sir’s huge fan following. But I trust him, and I’m excited to see what we create together as he’s leaving no stone unturned; the film already has great numbers from Thaman. I also feel more responsible when I work with a first-time filmmaker because their first film is something they’ll carry with them forever.

Could you tell us more about the genre of the film?

It's a new-age commercial entertainer with a lot of action, humour, and a very fresh filmmaking style. I think this will be my most commercial film so far, as some of my other projects have been a little dark in tonality. Sanjay’s film has a great new film language and I'm really excited about it.

Looking back at your 2024 Tamil films—Captain Miller and Rayaan and how they performed at the box office— are you happy with those decisions? What’s been your biggest takeaway from working on these films with Dhanush?

You know, I’ve always considered myself a rank outsider, no matter the industry. Even when I entered Telugu cinema and they tried to tag my name with having some sort of a support system, I was still very much an outsider. Over time, I got a couple of opportunities in Hindi, and when I came back to Tamil, it was primarily to satisfy the kid who grew up in Chennai; so, I’ve consciously picked offbeat projects in Tamil that I felt would be special.

If you look at my career choices, they’ve always been a bit unconventional and I’ve tried to carve out my identity that way. So, when Captain Miller came along, it felt like a huge opportunity. One, the role was extremely heroic, and two, the visual scale and story were things I really wanted to see on-screen.

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It’s not every day that you get to work with someone like Dhanush who you’ve admired and studied, to be on set with them and observe how they approach acting. That was a big learning moment for me. It was just 15 days of shooting, and I jumped in.

From a career perspective, Captain Miller changed the way people saw me. Sharing action sequences with Dhanush and Shiva Rajkumar sir, and seeing my character portrayed in such a grand way in front of a theatrical audience, had a lasting impact. I was thrilled to be part of those ‘mass’ moments that resonate in the theatre and are celebrated, especially now when audiences have such short attention spans.

Secondly, Raayan was offered to me while I was still working on Captain Miller, and it was a no-brainer to say yes. The character was pitched to me as the most popular role in the film, and I was honoured to be trusted with such an important role, especially since it was Dhanush's 50th film and he was directing it himself.

Both films were tricky choices though; on paper, for a Telugu actor, doing these roles wasn’t the most obvious decision. But thankfully, the gamble paid off, and the audience supported it.

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Since the pandemic, we’ve seen many actors working across film industries, but you’ve been doing this from the start of your career. 2025 marks your 15th year in the movies, but on some level, do you think being spread across languages has kept you from fully exploring your potential in any one industry?

Not at all. Now, you see a lot of Tamil actors bringing their films to Telugu, but how many Telugu actors have managed to make a successful bilingual film in Tamil? Over the past few decades, it’s been rare. Maybe in the last few years, films like Kalki (2024) or Pushpa (2021) have crossed over successfully. But I felt it was important for me to make my mark as a bilingual actor, one who can seamlessly work in both Tamil and Telugu and be accepted as a local actor in both industries.

I’m someone who likes to work in languages I can speak. If I can’t speak the language, I get very conscious on set. Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, and English are the languages I’m comfortable with; it helps me stay more in the moment as an actor, especially when I’m interacting with people in these languages.

Sundeep Kishan

You seem to be working on more projects now though in both Tamil and Telugu; is that a conscious decision?

As an actor, I take my time with films. For example, Michael took me two and a half years to complete. While it got me a lot of acclaim, the box office results weren’t what we hoped for. It’s not that I was absent, but I tend to take the time needed for each film. I’ve always respected my directors and given them the space they need, which sometimes leads to longer shooting periods.

Now, I’m more conscious about balancing my projects better. Jason Sanjay’s film is as much a Telugu film as it is a Tamil film, and Mazaka is primarily a Telugu project. It’s a conscious effort to manage the balance between the languages. But even then, I can’t do too many films at once. I focus on one project at a time, giving my full commitment to it. For instance, Mazaka is the only film I’ve been working on after Rayaan. Once I wrap that up, I’ll move on to Sanjay’s film. I also have The Family Man Season 3 to shoot. So, it’s all about managing time.

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At the end of the day, we’re in this creative industry because we want to live different lives. I love the process of creating something new, of bringing a character to life, and I want to enjoy every moment of it. So, yes, it may take time, but I’m grateful for fans who notice the gap and appreciate my work.

You’ve worked with Lokesh Kanagaraj before in Maanagaram, and people still say that was your finest performance. Since you guys are spotted together often, has there been any talk of collaborating with him again?

Lokesh is not just a professional colleague; we’re also very good friends. So when we speak about working together, it’s driven by both personal and professional emotions. However, Lokesh is now in a very crucial position, carrying a huge responsibility for Tamil cinema, making films with budgets of 450 to 500 crores. When a filmmaker is in that space, there’s a lot of pressure, and I’m very particular about choosing a special project to work with him again. Since I did my first film with him, we wouldn’t team up for something random now. But yes, we do have something in the pipeline that I’m hopeful about.

You are a part of The Family Man universe, and also headlining a new Netflix series; however, you have mentioned earlier that you want to be known primarily as a theatrical release actor. Are you now open to doing more web series?

Yes, I’m actually working right now on Netflix’s first Telugu series and I’m very excited about it (Super Subbu, in which Kishan plays an unlucky teacher assigned to teach sex-ed in a hostile village). However, I still consider myself a theatrical actor at heart and that’s my priority. It gives me a unique thrill, especially that two-hour experience of taking the audience into a completely different world. But yes, streaming platforms have made us accessible to a global audience, and shows like The Family Man and Citadel have made it possible for actors to break into the international space. Raj and DK once told me that streamers always go for the best actors! So that gives me gratification that I’ve been good at my job.

Do you have any specific goals for the coming years?

I’ve always focused on my craft, but I’ve learned that in this industry, numbers matter in the long run. It’s a brutal business, and for the longest time, I didn’t play by the rules. Now, I’m more conscious of the business side of things. As an actor, I’ve made many sacrifices — sometimes doing films for free just to see them happen.. like nearly, 12 to 14 projects. Today, I realise that I need to take care of myself as well. I’ve been working hard for many years, and now I want to safeguard my career and my future. But I also want to enjoy the process and keep pushing myself forward.