Children’s Day is round the corner and we thought it was a good idea to get a young, happening star like Varun Tej Konidela, a scion of the Mega family, shares about how he became the pet of Chiru, his Peddananna, and how Kalyan Babai’s words stimulated him, drove him crazy and above all, why he would hate if Children’s day fell on a Sunday
If looks could kill, Varun Tej Konidela would have been detained for the massacre. This new-age Greek God of south cinema became an inhabitant of screensavers and wallpapers much before his debut, thanks to his breathtaking eyes. But that’s not what Varun Tej is all about. He has eloquence and of course acting potential that has anyway dissolved in his DNA innately. In an Adidas jersey, faintly distressed jeans and a hip hop cap, he looks like an urban dictionary lad but as the interview progresses, we realise that he is poetic, profound and perspicacious.
Varun proudly and loudly says he is a big fan of his Peddananna (Chiranjeevi). “I am his pet. Even now, when I fractured my leg, I stayed at his place for a week. He would come back from the shoot with a tired face, but a contented smile, which was missing on his face for a long time,” he shares with utmost respect.
“We were the first in the entire family to move to Hyderabad from Chennai. Peddananna would frequent Hyderabad and had a guest house, which was a lane adjacent to my house. I would keep visiting him and spend time with him,” he adds.
Of course, his Kalyan Babai knew what Varun liked the most and never missed an opportunity to surprise him. “Babai went to Switzerland for some shoot and bought a big toy gun, which I still have,” he beams with an endearing expression.
“When Dharam and I were teenagers, Babai knew what we were going through and what was happening in our lives. He would ask us some awkward questions just to drive us crazy. He would pull our legs every time he met us. He would ask with a smirk on his face and I love seeing him grin while bullying us with such questions. At the same time, he instilled a lot of values in us. When we both were struggling to get into movies, he advised us on how we would not be encouraged because of our background.
He told us to give a reason for the audience to spend their `150 on us. I cried after hearing him and will never forget that lesson from him,” he tells in an inspired tone.
Varun says his Babai always had a vision to do something for the society and above all preached Varun and Dharam on how to learn and face the trials and turbulences, life throws at them.
Varun was once a shy boy, especially with girls and was focused more on sports. “I would score well though I was not studious. I was a naughty kid but not many know that fact. We are a group of four best friends and even today they are my best friends irrespective of how many new friends I make, they will remain my best friends,” he shares with a smirk.
Veering to a nostalgic tour, the Mega Princess with a child-like smile says, “Every year, Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan celebrates Founder’s day and we were bored. That was the first time Harsha, the naughtiest one in the gang initiated the idea of bunking. We managed to jump walls and went to a burger chain near Apollo. Suddenly we saw one of our teachers, who had come for some xerox.
We immediately hide our belts in the pockets, so that he wouldn’t recognise us. Our parents were tensed when they got to know but we are had some unscathed confidence within that nothing would happen,” he reveals.
That’s not alone; Varun has a few fond memories with his friend that has etched in his mind forever. “All the four friends would gather at the bus stop outside Satyam theatre in SR Nagar. We would go to the railway station, change clothes, go to RTC cross roads, watch movies back to back, eat all the possible junk available, get back to station again, change clothes and rush to school. Harsha is a street smart guy. He knew all the bus routes and which movie to watch where,” he laughs.
Once Varun had a lone bunk and he thoroughly enjoyed it. “After 8 am, we are not allowed to get inside school. My friends waited for me and left. I was late. I didn’t have friends outside.
I didn’t even have money with me. I borrowed `50 from my driver. I had a little knowledge about which bus to take I had to kill time. I did a meticulous planning on how much to spend on what because I have to go back home too with that money. The bus tickets were `3 to 4. I went to railway station, sat there for a while.
I took a bus again and went to Tolichowki. I bought a newspaper for `2 to check what movie is being screened in which theatre. Co-incidentally it was Shankar Dada MBBS 50th day and they had added a new song in the movie. I walked upto one and a half kilometres and went to Galaxy theatre and bought `10 front-row seat. I had my lunch box. I walked back two kilometres again to the bus stop and reached station. I had a friend from a different school and his timings were different. I went to his house, chilled for a while, borrowed `20 from him and took an auto to home. It was like an adventure day for me,” he laughs out loud.
Though Varun is close to Dharam, for they are of the same age and league, he says he shares a adoring rapport with Charan anna too. “As kid he always bullied me. Today, we reminisce those moments and laugh about it. He tells me that he was extremely fond of me and thus bullied me. Peddananna was endorsing for Thums Up and Kalyan Babai for Pepsi. Charan anna would support Babai for Pepsi and I would support Peddananna. The tag line of Thumsup was ‘grow up’ and I would say grow up boys. He would have wars, on which drink was great,” he laughs out loud.
Today, they give us brother and sister goals but they were once the war mongers at home. “Once I had held Niharika’s hand tightly. She was once a petite girl. She fell on the floor and my parents were alarmed that she had fractured her hand. I was actually terrified and worried if I had really broken her hand. She wept and my parents punished me for hurting her. After a while, she tells me that she had put up an act and nothing happened to her hand,” he tells us elaborately on how they bonded.
He is doting brother today. He supports his sister in chasing her dreams.
“We did have inhibitions because the ugly truth is that industry is male dominant. My dad and I had a chat and he said it’s unfair to shatter her dreams. He said he wants to be careful but not to say ‘no’ to her just because she is a girl. I too felt it would be cruel to cut her wings. I do give in my inputs when she is deciding about about her scripts. Now she is busy with movies, web series and much more,” says the proud brother.
Varun is going to be live on Facebook soon.