HYDERABAD: After appearing in a slew of supporting roles, actor Naveen Polishetty has turned a lead actor with Agent Sai Srinivasa Athreya (2019), for which he also worked as a co-writer with director RSJ Swaroop. The film has broken the patterns of crime-thrillers in Telugu cinema and has made Naveen a household name. As he tests his luck at the box-office this Thursday with Jathi Ratnalu, which marks the debut of director Nag Ashwin as the producer, Naveen feels that the film will provide comic relief to the audience amidst the pandemic scare.
“The success of Agent Sai Srinivasa Athreya and Chichore not only gave me recognition but also mustered the courage to do films that live up to the trust. The trailers and songs of Jathi Ratnalu have built huge expectations and I am hoping that the film will also keep the audience hooked. I am sure this film came to me at the most appropriate time of my career,” says Naveen.
On his association with Nag Ashwin, Naveen says, “I have been friends with Nag Ashwin for many years and it feels happy to collaborate with him in his maiden production. When he asked me to listen to the script, I have agreed to do this film almost instantly as the story is a complete laugh riot. I have enjoyed working on this film as much as I did during the script narration. I think director Anudeep KV has done a great job and we delivered something that we liked.”
Jathi Ratnalu is the story of three naive youth, who were on their quest to prove their innocence after being framed in a crime. Naveen, who leads the comic triumvirate along with Priyadarshi and Rahul Ramakrishna, says, “I play Jogipet Srikanth, a funny character that leaves the audience in splits of laughter. I got able support from Darshi and Rahul and the three of us had a ball in scenes that are mostly situational. The narrative plays out like a chaotic situation for these characters and the title too has a significance for the mood of the story. Frankly, it’s not a character-driven narrative, but a plot-driven story that delves into these characters.”
A writer in his own right, Naveen admits to contributing some creative inputs into the making of the film. “Jathi Ratnalu is an absolute team effort. The atmosphere was amazing on the sets because one day I gave my inputs and on another someone lends his words of wisdom. Whether it’s during the scripting stage or on the sets, each of us valued our creative inputs and made sure we come up with a satisfying output,” reveals the actor.
Naveen says he always makes it a point to prepare for a scene well in advance. “I have the habit of going through the scene paper or dialogue sheet a day before the shoot. It not only saves time but also helps us understand the scene and its significance. Further, it gives an actor a lot of freedom to express himself and creates room for improvisation. Anudeep would send the scene paper every night and I would prepare for my part trying out different styles and it certainly helped me pull off this role,” explains the Hyderabadi lad. On working with Faria Abdullah, he says, “The film also comes with an interesting love track.
Faria will be seen as Chitti and our song has already become a chartbuster. We shared fabulous onscreen chemistry and I feel it works well in the film.” Is he a Jathi Ratnam? Naveen says, “My producers – Nag Ashwin, Swapna (Dutt) and Priya (Dutt) – are our Jathi Ratnalu (laughs). Had they not believed in this script, we would not have been a part of this hilarious entertainer. I take this opportunity to thank them from the bottom of my heart.”
So what’s next after Jathi Ratnalu? Naveen replies, “I have signed two films in Telugu and the details will be announced shortly. I am also doing a Hindi film, which needs to be shot abroad. The shooting got delayed owing to the present global crisis due to the Covid-19 outbreak.”Before signing off Naveen shares his mantra for success. He says, “I thank my directors for recognising my talent and providing an opportunity to portray good characters. I always believe in focusing on the talent or the skillset and walking the path. If you identify this, there’s no way success cannot be yours.”
— Murali Krishna CH muralikrishna.db@newindianexpress.com @onlymurali