Ravi Teja, who plays the titular role in Amar Akbar Anthony, says there is no guarantee for success and he doesn’t judge others by the choices they make
How did Amar Akbar Anthony take off?
Sreenu Vaitla came to me with a storyline when I was about to start shooting for Nela Ticket. I was convinced that the story has a lot of potential to be tapped and asked him to work on it with an open mind. He had incorporated the changes I suggested and the film went on floors with Ileana and me as the lead pair.
Majority expressed their apprehension over your collaboration with Sreenu Vaitla…
There is no guarantee what will work and what won’t. I don’t judge others by the choices they make. I always respect my directors regardless of their last film’s outcome. I’m someone who thrives on hope. For the record, I have had my share of failures and I’m hoping that Sreenu Vaitla will not let anyone down this time around as he had meticulously fixed his mistakes from his past experiences.
Going by the promos, I see that the protagonist suffers from split personality disorder in the film…
No comments, we are just a few hours away from the release and you have to watch the film to figure out what is he up to (laughs).
Of the three characters, which one was special to you…
Undoubtedly, Amar is my favourite and it was positioned differently among others. It’s a character that comes with a lot of intensity and displays a range of emotions. What makes one excited is the film’s story on which Vaitla built these characters. I have enjoyed playing three different shades and found it really challenging.
How was it working with Ileana D’Cruz?
We have shared the screen space after many years and she has been an ideal choice to play this character. She is a fantastic actor and has brushed up her Telugu-speaking skills to dub her lines for her role.
You seem to have stuck to particular kind of films...
Not at all… commercial films have always been my forte. I did Ee Abbai Chala Manchodu, Naa Autograph, Shambo Shiva Shambo and Neninthe to prove my versatility, but the box-office result was disheartening. When audiences watch those films even today, they will connect to those characters really well. As an actor, I need to be as comfortable doing non-commercial/offbeat films as I’m with mass/action entertainers. Taken (2008) is my most favourite film of all-time because of the way the story and subject were handled. I’m waiting for similar scripts in Telugu. I don’t want to confine myself to one particular genre and if offered, I’m game for historic films too.
Do you want to break away from your commercial image?
I don’t want to be typecast. I want my work to be as versatile as possible and essay characters that are starkly different from each other. As long as there is importance in a character, I don’t mind playing a villain. But I feel I have a lot of fuel still left in my tank to take up such roles.
Is this your way of spiritual expression...
I have been like this ever since I started my journey in the industry. It’s just that we haven’t got an opportunity to discuss these aspects. I am immune to success and failure. I don’t let success (of a film) go to my head, nor do I let failure affect me much. I think that has helped me stay in good spirits. I’m glad I have a work that I’m passionate about, but I don’t let negativity bring me down.
So, what next after AAA?
I will start working on director VI Anand’s film soon and I also have a project with director Santosh Srinivas in the pipeline. Contrary to reports, it is not a remake of Tamil film Theri!
— Murali Krishna CH
muralikrishna.db@newindianexpress
@onlymurali