Actor Sharwanand already has three hits in a row, many films in the pipeline and a fan base that is increasing exponentially. “It feels great to have two blockbusters for two major festivals -- Sankranthi and Dasara,” says the actor, who is now being hailed as the ‘Festival Star’ in the trade circles. He posed a challenge to stalwarts like Chiranjeevi, Balakrishna and Mahesh Babu and had secured big hits with films like National Award-winning film Shatamanam Bhavathi, Radha and Mahanubhavudu.
Ask him to share his thoughts on the box office clash with the superstars, he says, “I don’t plan my releases. It was my producers who decide such things. Festivals like Sankranthi and Dasara can have three-four big releases. Unlike other films, Shatamanam Bhavathi and Mahanubhavudu are the films that are meant for the families. So, that was the only reason for my producers to pit them against other big-budget extravaganzas. No matter how many films release together, when the story is good, people will lap up your film.” To prepare for roles of a village heartthrob and playing a man afflicted with OCD, Sharwa avers that he doesn’t do any research.
“I didn’t give any of these characters much thought before doing the film. What matters the most is the script. Whether it’s Mahanubhavudu or Shatamanam...I follow my director’s words and completely trust him. As an actor, my job is to deliver whatever they expect from me.” However, Sharwa admits that during his initial days he had to go through training to get a hang of his craft in various aspects. “I play a mentally slow boy in Amma Cheppindhi and to pull off that role, I did some research and underwent training. I also worked hard to improve my comic timing for Run Raja Run.”
After Shatamanam Bhavati, Radha and Mahanubhavudu, the talented actor say he always like to offer versatility and keen on taking up scripts that have unique characterisations. “I always look for good stories. It is important to keep reinventing as you never know what might connect with the audience. So, I try out different roles and luckily, it’s working for me.” He doesn’t like to divide movies as small and big films. “I don’t like to discriminate films. To me, cinema is one entity. The audience are always ready to accept when you attempt something new.
So, I always make sure that everything works well provided the story has to be interesting.” Do failures affect Sharwa? He explains, “I don’t think I will be dejected by a failure or go all out to celebrate a success. All I know is to keep working. If a film fails, I feel bad for the efforts we have put in to deliver the output and I always see the failure as a learning curve. To me, commitment and perseverance remain the same and I always ensure to not commit the same mistake again.
At the same time, a success inspires you to make many good films.” Sharwa, who tried his hand at production with Ko Ante Koti, says that he is content with the kind of films he is doing and has no plans to produce films again. “Frankly, I don’t have the time to make films. I’m pretty happy with the scripts I’m getting. I don’t think I can produce films anytime soon.” As for his upcoming films, “I have two projects in the pipeline with Prakash Kovelamudi and Sudheer Varma. They are still in the scripting stage and you will see me sporting two different looks in them.”