The sense of relief on Naga Chaitanya's face is evident. It seems like a tremendous load has come off his shoulders and he looks a different man - calm, relaxed and carefree. The shy smile that we have always associated with him, has now turned into a big, wide grin. He has already opened up about his relationship with actress Samantha and his latest release Premam has done well at the box-office. On both personal and professional fronts, Naga Chaitanya seems to be content and satisfied.
"Huge sigh of relief," admits the actor, when asked about Premam's success.
Another reason for him to be relieved is that his film with Gautham Menon, Sahasam Swasaga Sagipo (SSS) is finally ready for release, after eleven months of delay.
"Yes, we were initially planning to release the film last December but the project got delayed. The main reason for the delay is because the film is releasing simultaneously in both Telugu and Tamil. Finding an appropriate date for a simultaneous release was difficult since both industries have different windows," Chaitanya points out.
Regardless of the delay, the actor is delighted that it's finally hitting screens this Friday, especially at a time when his previous film is still fresh in the audiences' minds.
"Both movies belong to different genres, and there are no similarities between the two. As an actor I'm happy to have two completely contrasting films releasing in the span of one month," he says.
In SSS, Naga Chaitanya reunites with Gautham Menon after their blockbuster Ye Maaya Chesaave ( Vinnaithaandi Varuvaayaa in Tamil) in 2010.
"The first half of this film is an extension of Ye Maaya Chesaave. In this film, my character's journey starts after graduating from college and while looking to find a job, I fall in love. Second half, it goes completely into the action zone and transforms into a suspense thriller," informs the 29-year-old actor.
Naga Chaitanya, by his own admission, is more comfortable doing love stories. There have been times when he looked uncomfortable while essaying action sequences, most notably in Autonagar Surya in 2014. The actor hopes his image as an action hero would change with SSS.
"I did try my hand at action earlier but perhaps I wasn't mature enough as an actor then. Now with 12 films under my belt, I have grown as an actor and matured a bit. Also Gautham Menon's direction gave me more confidence. After Ye Maaya Chesaave, the audience accepted me in the love story genre. In the same vein, I hope the audience can accept me as an action hero after watching this film," he says, optimistically.
Looking back to when he started his journey as an actor with Gautham Menon, Chaitanya believes that he has evolved as an actor over the years.
"I have inflicted lesser pain on Gautham this time," he laughs.
"In Ye Maaya Chesaave, Gautham had worked very hard to bring the best out of me. But now after six years, I guess I have matured as an actor, but it continues to be a learning journey for me," he adds.
Naga Chaitanya will next work on an untitled project with director Kalyan Krishna, shooting for which commences today.
Sahasam Swasaga Sagipo, which features Manjima Mohan as the female lead, is slated to hit screens on November 11.