Senior character actor Brahmaji is currently one of the busiest actors in Tollywood, with several films lined up for release over the next few months. The veteran actor is playing key roles in multiple upcoming projects, showcasing a wide range of characters.
One of his immediate releases is Lenin, starring Akhil Akkineni and Bhagyashri Borse in the lead roles and directed by Murali Kishor Abburu. The film, which is releasing this Friday, features Brahmaji in a role unlike anything he has done before. “Though I have acted in hundreds of films, my role in Lenin is completely different. Even my look is fresh and new. Audiences will see me in a character they have never seen before,” says Brahmaji.
Further explaining his character, the actor compared it to the legendary Sakuni from the Mahabharata. “It is a different kind of villainy, driven more by intelligence than aggression. Every character in Lenin is important, and mine is one of them,” says Brahmaji, who also praised the film for featuring several Telugu actors. “Except for one actor, almost everyone in the cast is Telugu. The film also uses the Chittoor dialect extensively, which gives it a lot of authenticity.”
Speaking about the growing trend of casting actors from other film industries in Telugu cinema, Brahmaji expressed his disappointment. “When it comes to Tamil, Malayalam or Hindi films, they mostly cast local actors because they want authenticity in the language and culture. But in Telugu cinema, we are increasingly depending on actors from other industries, even though many of them cannot speak the language or understand the local dialect,” points out Brahmaji, who strongly believes language plays a crucial role in making a character believable. “When an actor doesn't know the local language or slang, the emotional connection is lost. If you are making a village-based story with actors who cannot speak Telugu, how can the audience truly relate to those characters?"
Brahmaji also feels that filmmakers are often influenced more by appearance than performance. “Some actors are chosen because they look good. But what about the emotions? If an actor cannot speak the local language properly, much of the impact is lost. It becomes a waste to cast someone who cannot naturally connect with the character,” he said.
Brahmaji recently received appreciation for his performance in The Hangman, which premiered directly on Sun NXT. Interestingly, the actor revealed that he did not charge any remuneration for the project. “When the makers approached me, they told me they were making the film on a limited budget. If I had taken my remuneration, it would have become a huge burden for them. So I decided not to charge anything,” says the actor, adding, “As an actor, films like The Hangman give complete satisfaction. It is based on a real-life character. Before shooting, I even met the actual hangman to understand his personality and mannerisms, which helped me perform the role more naturally.”
His next theatrical release will be Srinivasa Mangapuram, which is scheduled to hit theatres on July 30. “In that film, I play a character named Singer Balu. It is completely different from the roles I have been doing in recent years,” says the actor, who will follow up Srinivasa Mangapuram with Comrade Kalyan. “I play a corrupt police officer in Comrade Kalyan. Though I have portrayed cops in many films before, this character has been designed differently."
The veteran actor has nearly half a dozen films lined up for release. He is also part of AK-47, directed by Trivikram Srinivas, which is slated for release on October 2. He also features in Slumdog, Puri Jagannadh's upcoming film starring Vijay Sethupathi, as well as in Itlu Arjuna and Anumana Pakshi.
With a diverse lineup of films, challenging roles and consistent appreciation for his performances, Brahmaji is undoubtedly enjoying one of the busiest phases of his career, proving once again why he remains one of Telugu cinema's most dependable character actors.