Despite 27 movies, including Bollywood’s 'Shiva', 'Vaastu Shastra' and 'Aag', or even Mani Ratnam’s Tamil film 'Kannathil Muthamittal' in 2002, J D Chakravarthy will continue to be identified as the strong and rugged 'Satya' in Ram Gopal Varma’s movie of the same name. Perhaps he has learned to live with it. The part-time director ('Darwaza Bandh Rakho' and 'Darna Zaroori Hai') is also a name to reckon with in Telugu cinema. This season, we can look forward to Chakravarthy in another Varma movie, 'Bhoot Returns', as well as a Tamil movie, 'Samar', starring Vishal and Trisha.
Here, the actor tells us about his fascination for the horror genre and why he is not to be trusted.
I am a horror freak. I think it is very difficult to scare someone. Characters are very important in movies like this and we have to hold the story. Each horror movie is different. In 'Bhoot Returns', I play the father of a girl who is possessed. This movie is the scariest of all Ram Gopal Varma movies. I think he has taken horror to another level with it. And he has made the best use of sound. Not many realise that silence can be the worst killer and we have used it the right place. Generally, when we see a 3D movie, we see the 3D effect only in parts but Ramu didn’t want to leave any scene.
I did get scared listening to the script. I am not a macho man and I am not ‘Satya’ to be brave all the time. I am playing a cameo in 'Samar' (Tamil film), and I agreed to it since Vishal and the director insisted.
I shamelessly do movies even after flops. My last film, 'All the Best', didn’t do well. But I am shameless and am working on another Telugu movie. It is tentatively called 'Maranam', which means death. Now I don’t know if people are going to die watching the film or if we are going to die making the film (laughs).
I love travelling with Ramu. It is like going on the highway, with bad roads and even dirt tracks and finally coming to a service center to get back to shape. Ramu is like my service station. We sometimes discuss the mistakes that we should not repeat in the next film. He is such a well-read man. I meet him every day and I meet a new person.
I think I am fully demented. Doing horror movies is not going to affect me. When I was born, the Devil probably said, ‘Oh man! I have competition.’ I do a lot of research before a movie but after it is over, I don’t go mad.
To sound intelligent, I would say I analyse myself. Personally, I think only a moron would do that. It is like thinking about what you ate two years ago. I don’t think I am that dumb to sit and analyse my work. I am a big liar. I am a selfish person and I am not straight forward (laughs).
'Bhoot Returns' is scheduled release on October 12.