Ajai Rao, whose debut production, Krishna Leela directed by Shashank was received by the audience with open arms, is adding 30 more theatres within two weeks of release. Talking about the successful run so far, Ajai says he does feel like the hero of the film. “At present, I do feel like a ‘pesal man’,” says Ajai, indicating the character’s journey in the film.
According to the producer-cum-actor, his biggest worry was the Cricket World Cup coinciding with his film’s release. “But despite the cricket fervour, the film pulled a crowd and everything has been word of mouth,” he says.
The success of Krishna Leela seems to have made a revelation to Ajai. He says that in the past he was appreciated as an actor, but if the film failed at the box office, his performance too went unrecognised.
“The moral of Krishna Leela is that if the film wins, only then performance is recognised,” he says.
Ajai now hopes that his film breaks all records and gets an even more successful run.
In fact, he has decided to take up another project as producer once Krishna Leela’s theatrical journey ends. “If some good scripts come by that can sustain the respect I have got from Krishna Leela, I might produce it, and the same goes for the subjects I pick as an actor,” says Ajai.
The actor’s next release could be Imran Sardariya’s Endendigu or Raghav Loki’s A Second Hand Lover. The audio of both the films got released recently. “I am thankful to producer S V Babu, because even though Endendigu was completely ready for release, barring some graphic work, he agreed to hold the film and allowed me to release Krishna Leela. He knew that it was my first film as a producer and that I had commitments,” says Ajai.
He is now looking forward to promote both his upcoming films. He says, “Endedigu has created a lot of hype, so we are planning to release it at the right time. I want to start promoting my next film once I know that Krishna Leela doesn’t need any more publicity from me. The same goes with Raghav Loki’s film too.’’
The actor intends to utilise Krishna Leela’s impact for his next film’s advantage. He says, “I want to publicise one film at a time since I don’t want anybody to undergo losses. According to me, a release of a 100-days hero makes it worth for the next one to garner more audience.”
On a personal front, Ajai, who is yet to take off on his honeymoon, states that he plans to do so in a month’s time. “I had promised my wife that I will commit half of my time to her, which I have not kept up. I now plan a long trip with her, once I finish my commitments for Krishna Leela and the immediate next film,” he says.