THERE are very few actors in Tollywood who have had a successful transition from playing a baddie onscreen to donning the hero’s role. And one among the few in this list is actor Ajay. Though Ajay has been in the Telugu film industry since nine years, he has mainly played negative characters for which he has received recognition and acclaim.
Ajay has turned hero with Sarai Veeraraju, which was released recently and the movie has been getting positive reviews.
Basking in his newfound success, Ajay shares, “I am very happy with the audience response and also for accepting me as a hero. I was nervous about how the public would react seeing me in the hero’s role, but not anymore.” Elaborating on his role in Sarai Veeraraju, Ajay says, “I play a selfish and mean guy in the movie who can only think about himself. There is a strong message in the second half of the movie, which seems to have been conveyed well. Contrary to the title the movie has, which gives the impression of a complete mass movie, the second half of the movie deals with sentiments, which women will moon over.” Ajay says his character transforms gradually from bad to good. “We consciously did this, keeping in mind my previous image as a villain.” Ajay was first noticed for his role in Khushi playing one of the eve-teasers troubling Bhoomika. Later on, the movies which bought him fame include Vikramarkudu, Sye, Pokiri, Desammuduru and also the recently released Arya-2. Sometimes, his screen image is taken too seriously in real life also. “People do tend to take my villainous roles in movies too seriously at times. On some occasions, they feel scared to come near me or take my autograph,” he laughs.
In contrast to his screen image, Ajay claims to be more of a family man. “I am a complete family guy. In my leisure hours, one can find me at home spending time with my wife and kids,” he adds.
Ajay has quite a few projects in the pipeline like Brindavanam, Kalavar King and others where he will be playing negative characters again.
“I am quite open to any kind of roles and not particular about lead roles. I want to take up roles which would be appreciated by the public.” Starting off without any contacts or godfathers in the industry, Ajay joined an acting school after college. “When I started off, my desire was to just act irrespective of roles or characters. At that time, my being tall was the only thing that gave me confidence. Now since I am already acting, I aim to be remembered as a good actor by the audiences,” he remarks.
rahul.d@expressbuzz.com