Got trapped into donning khaki again because of Sunflower cast, says Girish Kulkarni

It has been seven years since we saw Girish Kulkarni essay the role of an eccentric police officer in Anurag Kashyap’s Ugly (2014). But the actor is still remembered for that role, thanks to his dedicated performance. 

Kulkarni initially refused to don khaki again for the Zee5 web-series Sunflower. “I played the role of a police officer in Anurag Kashyap’s film Ugly. After that, I was only offered the roles of a police officer. So I refused,” said the actor during the online trailer launch of the show. 

But the actor eventually gave in to the temptation. “Thanks to this wonderful person called Vikas Bahl [director]. He had a conference call with me with other actors. He told me this was a very different character, although this is line is a cliché,” he said. 

Starring Sunil Grover, Sunflower is about a murder that takes place in a housing society populated by colourful individuals. Kulkarni and Ranvir Shorey work as a team to solve the case.

Kulkarni is happy to team up with Shorey again after the web-series Sacred Games. “But we didn’t have scenes together [in that series],” pointed out Kulkarni. “Because of these actors, I got tempted and trapped into playing the character of a police officer again (laughs). This role is actually different. Maybe you won’t find such a police officer in real life. This is all Vikas’s imagination,” he said.

Sunflower will be streamed on Zee5 from 11 June.