With his upcoming sophomore film, Ekka, actor Yuva Rajkumar says he is ready to solidify his place in the industry. The role sees him shed the more restrained performance of his debut, Yuva, for a raw and intense portrayal.

We caught up with the actor for an interview, where he opened up about this pivotal shift in his career, the challenges of holding an audience’s attention in today’s dynamic entertainment landscape, and why Ekka truly allowed him to explore uncharted emotional territory.

“My debut, Yuva, taught me to face the camera and hold my emotions. But with Ekka, it’s all about releasing them. Now, I’m ready for audiences to see me in a whole new light,” Yuva tells us. Excerpts:‘I SEEK FILMS THAT DEPICT CHARACTERS IN UNIQUE WAYS’Elaborating on his artistic vision, Yuva says, “I believe cinema is an excellent medium to preserve history and showcase Karnataka’s culture for future generations.

It’s my dream to portray as many historical characters as possible. Beyond that, I seek films that depict characters in unique ways. I’m actively choosing roles with this in mind; Ekka will show a marked difference from my debut, and my next film will be even more distinct.

” ‘I SPENT TIME WITH CAB DRIVERS TO GET INTO THE SHOES OF MY CHARACTER’Explaining what drew him to the lead role in Ekka, Yuva says, “When I read the script, I connected with the character of Muthu and his journey. He begins as a very innocent village boy who, like so many others, moves to Bengaluru for work.

There, he becomes a cab driver. In the film, the city’s newness slowly erodes his innocence, ultimately turning him towards violence, making him a monster. The entire film explores this battle between his pure nature and his inner rage.

” “It was that struggle that truly captivated me. In fact, to truly get into the shoes of the character, I travelled by cabs as much as possible to understand the lives of cab drivers and learn about their struggles,” adds Yuva. ‘TODAY, THE PRESSURE JUST TO GAIN PEOPLE’S APPRECIATION IS VERY HIGH’With two films under his belt, Yuva admits to feeling pressure, though he makes it clear that the pressure he feels isn’t just because of his famous last name – rather, adapting to the entertainment world’s changing demands. “I feel that today, the pressure just to gain people’s appreciation is very high. It’s not easy to capture attention. Interests are constantly shifting.

Social media and reels are actively shrinking attention spans.

Amid this, holding an audience’s attention for two-and-a-half-hours is a very big task. That’s where I feel the most pressure,” he says. “That said, I love every bit of being in this industry,” he says. For the actor, being born into the Rajkumar family meant film sets were his personal playground. “Ever since I was a child, film sets were my playground. I never went to actual playgrounds; I’d play on the Jimmy Jib and sit on the track and trolley.

The unit members used to play with me. So, today, as an adult, I’m still playing – that’s the best part; and I’m still enjoying every aspect of it,” he says. ‘EKKA PUSHED ME TO EXTREME EMOTIONS; HELPED ME TO OPEN UP AS AN ACTOR’Yuva reveals that the film allowed him to explore uncharted territory within his craft. “The entire film is about the character’s journey. Different situations constantly trigger his anger. The core question is: how strong is he to hold onto his innocence? It was truly rewarding to portray Muthu’s transition from an innocent guy into the world of crime, and how the city plays with his emotions.

I deeply enjoyed playing that transformation.

There are scenes, including a fight sequence, where you can clearly see this struggle between innocence and anger unfold. Playing these varied and intense emotions truly helped my learning and allowed me to explore and open up as an actor.”