We fully support Niharika: Varun Tej

Exciting times await Varun Tej. His second film Kanche is lined up for release and soon, his sister Niharika will be making her big debut.

Talking about the period film with a war backdrop, Varun says,  “I didn’t plan anything. Director Krish was supposed to do my first film, but it didn’t work out. So he promised that he would get back with a good story and that’s how Kanche  came about.”

Many had advised him not to attempt a period film as it was too early in his career. “So many people told me to do a commercial film, but I always like content-driven films. When Krish narrated the story, I didn’t have any second thoughts and immediately said yes,” says Varun.

He adds, “When I would watch Hollywood films I would sometimes wonder why our Telugu filmmakers didn’t attempt these kind of films,” he says.

And the first thing they started practising was the language. “We can’t speak the present-day language and we had to practise for it. Thanks to Krish, I did it. I also watched many Hollywood war films to get the right body language, look and other small details of a soldier,” Varun says.

Krish also ensured that Varun spent a week with a retired general. “It was basically to know how an Army person behaved, walked and his style,” he says.

Varun’s other film, Loafer with director Puri Jagannadh, is also almost ready. “A few days of patchwork is left and it is almost ready, but we haven’t yet decided about the title. Loafer is apt for the story, but we are still thinking about it,” he says.

Nithiin was originally supposed to do Loafer. “Even I had read that tweet of Puri Jagannadh. I was in Georgia at that time. When I come back to India, Puri narrated the story to me and I liked it. I called Nithiin and told him that he was supposed to do the project but now I was doing it. He was happy and said that he was not part of it because of ‘some equations’,” says Varun.

He also adds that he was supposed to do the film Heart Attack with Puri, but that went to Nithiin.

Talking about his sister Niharika’s debut as an actress and the fans’ objecting to it, Varun says, “The decision was not taken overnight. It was there in her mind for a long time and she discussed it with us. As a brother, I fully support her and all my family members, too, are supporting her,” he says, adding, “Yes, initially there was a lot of pressure from fans, but my father (Nagababu) told them that she wouldn’t hurt their feelings.”

How can fans decide a person’s career in a family? “Fans are very important to us and they are part of our family. I still remember Peddananna (Chiranjeevi) told me that he did a few films not for him, but to make the fans happy. They are our backbone and we respect them.

“And at the same time, a film career is not a bad profession. Actually, Niharika first discussed her plan with Peddananna and he told her to go ahead,” he says.

The actor says that he never feels the pressure that there are many actors in his family. “I want to be a good actor and if everyone likes my work, I feel happy. I never feel pressurised as I go according to the subject,” Varun says.