Prashanth Neel's "Salaar", an upcoming movie headlined by Prabhas, has all the elements of a quintessential mass film but what will keep the audiences engaged is the tale of two friends, says actor Prithviraj Sukumaran.

Titled "Salaar: Part 1 – Ceasefire", the big-budget action film is set in the fictional city of Khansaar and follows the story of Deva and Vardha, played by Prabhas and Sukumaran, respectively. It will be released on Friday.

Sukumaran said the movie's announcement back in December 2020 made waves in the South film industry because of the names attached to the project -- Neel, the director of blockbuster "KGF" franchise, and Prabhas, the lead star of SS Rajamouli's "Baahubali" series.

And when he heard the narration of the story from Neel, Sukumaran said he was left surprised.

"I had different notions about what the film would be. I didn't expect it to be a story of two friends, their bonding, and what happens between them. That caught me by surprise.

"What drew me in was the drama. Despite all the spectacular fight sequences and huge sets, what pulls you in 'Salaar' is the drama. That drama, regardless of how big or small the film is or in which language the film is made, it works," the 41-year-old actor told PTI in an interview here.

For an actor, the scale of a film is secondary, added Sukumaran, who has worked across languages and delivered hits such as "Indian Rupee", "Ravananan", "Ennu Ninte Moideen", "Ezra", "Kaaviya Thalaivan" and "Lucifer".

"If you are making a Rs 600 crore film with a rotten script, then there's no point. With 'Salaar', it is not about the budget or the scale. 'Salaar' worked for me and it will work for the audience because it is a good film...

"It has everything that a mass-action lover would want -- massive action, fantastic hero and signature Prashanth Neel scenes -- but what really got me into it was the tale of two friends," he reiterated.

Sukumaran said his co-star Prabhas is a "nice guy" who is always concerned about his well-being.

"With Prabhas, it is constantly about, 'Are you comfortable?', 'Can I send some food?', 'Can you come to the farm house? Let's hang out there'. He is an incredibly nice guy, he is intrinsically like that. He is one of the biggest stars of the country, I think the only person who doesn't know that he is himself." Sukumaran, who made his directorial debut with 2019's "Lucifer", said they both also discussed the possibility of a movie directed by him and starring Prabhas.

"He told me about the kind of cinema he wants to do. We discussed the possibility of collaborating in a film as a director-actor.

"He is one of those really gentlemanly sorts, who goes out of his way to make sure that everyone around him is very comfortable. And it's not just with me, I've seen him go and do this with other actors and technicians around him. It's an incredible personality to have, I'm not that way." The actor credited Neel for creating a fictional city with a rich history for "Salaar".

"What's impressive about the look is that it is not designed purely for aesthetics and style, it looks like one... Every piece of jewellery that the characters are wearing has got a significance. What I'm wearing on my hands and arms (in the movie), it has got a story.

"Prashanth and his team thought of a lot of things before arriving at this look. Hats off to him and his team that they have created a 1,000-year-old history for this fictional place," he added.

Sukumaran revealed that when he met Neel for a face-to-face narration, the director had already mapped out the whole story of Khansaar.

"I had finished a late-night shoot in Hyderabad, I was directing a film called 'Bro Daddy'. Late at night, I went to meet Prashanth. There was a huge board, where he had written down the history of Khansaar, like where in the geopolitical map of the Indian subcontinent this place might be, what are the clans, tribes within this place, what are their history and how are they interconnected.

"When I looked at it, I was like this is enough material for 10 films and he has made one film. So, there are a million possibilities with Khansaar and with Vardharaja and Deva," he said.

"Salaar" is backed by Hombale Films, the banner behind the "KGF" franchise, and the makers are already planning to work on a sequel post the release of the first part.

The actor said the sequel will be "bigger" than its predecessor.

"Prashanth had narrated till the climax of part two to both of us. We know where the story is headed and how character arcs are designed in the second part. It is a much bigger film than the first one.

"Regarding the shooting timelines, I don't know. Multiple things have to align, Prashanth, Prabhas, myself and massive sets will have to be erected again. We have not dismantled some of them (sets). There's so much to build for 'Salaar' part two, so it's a big endeavour. It will depend on how well 'Salaar' one is received, of which we are quietly confident," he said.

"Salaar" also stars Shruti Haasan, Eshwari Rao, Jagapathi Babu and Sriya Reddy. It will be released in five languages -- Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi.

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