When I'm stressed, I cook for my wife: Jr NTR

This is his first interview in several years but Jr NTR is calm... composed. So when Deccan Chronicle sat down with the star there was a lot to talk about... right from the earliest days to what his stress busters are and how he spends time with a family he absolutely cherishes. Here’s Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, unplugged.

The family man

“I have been a very ‘hyper boy’ right from childhood. And while many liked that trait of mine, my friends didn’t,” says Jr NTR about his childhood days.

“And I have always been a homely person. My mother has been a major push for me and she has been the driving force because I started my career when I was just 17, a very young age. But I’m still that innocent person from years ago..., and I think it is the best trait in a human being. I am always happy being that person.”

The actor married Pranathi in 2011 and he describes her as one of the biggest influences in his life.  “She has played a vital part in changing me into what I am now. I really do feel special being  married to this wonderful woman. She has done a lot for me and she is my anchor after my mum in my house, and that’s the other reason for me to stay at home. I am very cozy at home and I never really feel this need to go out. More importantly, she gives me these suggestions on how women of the present generation want to see lead actors. For my upcoming film, Nannaku Prematho, she really helped me to bring out the best. I totally relate to her in that way. She never forces me to take her suggestions on board, but she will make a few suggestions like, Ila ayithe meeru baguntaru (You would look good this way). She suggests, but doesn’t force.  During the early stages of our married life Pranathi did struggle to adjust for a few months. But she is a very strong woman mentally, stronger than me.”

“Also, the best gift my wife has given me is my son, Abhay. I wanted a daughter because I was the only kid at home and I wanted a sister. But God has given me a son and I look at him both as a son and a daughter. I sometimes even make him wear a half sari,” says the actor with a smile.

Films and home

“I am a typical Telugu boy dominated by all the qualities of a Hyderabadi, because I was born and brought up here. At home, my mother or Pranathi never talk about the industry or films. But both of them do watch movies; as my mother is an old timer she usually watches old movies. Pranathi, meanwhile, prefers the contemporary ones.

“But they never really discuss my films at home and never involve themselves in decisions taken by me. When it comes to taking a decision for us, especially for me or Kalyan anna, my father is a major driving force. When we got into the industry, I still remember his words, he said, ‘jump, die, live, whatever it may be, you do it yourself. You are the best judge of your film. You will have to take the responsibility for the good and bad in your life. Only then will you come out as a strong person.’ So, we always take decisions on our own, whether good or bad.”

His home is also very lively — always filled with friends and family. “It never gets all serious at home simply because there are no serious discussions. I am just there in my place and I am happy there. My house is full of people whenever I am not shooting. My mum has five sisters and four brothers and all of them come to my house and we are all busy talking to each other and spending time. There is not much time to analyse anything about my films or all those rumours in the press.”

There’s also a focus on fitness. “Pranathi is responsible for that. I workout a lot as fitness is very important now. I have a beautiful gym at home which I  started recently. And Pranathi too is a fitness freak. Post pregnancy she put on nearly 17 kilos but in just four months she lost all that weight. She always keeps me pushing towards fitness.”

My son is my world

“I have had lot of bruises while shooting. I had a major cut while shooting Aadi, I was also severely injured during Simhadri, then during Brundavanam etc. Then I had a major accident in which I broke five of my ribs. But after Abhay came into my life, I am now more responsible while shooting these action sequences. Every time I have action scenes now, I take a step back and think about Abhay. Because I really want to see him growing up, and I do not want to be in a situation where I won’t get to cherish that. I want to be part of his growing up, and I want to give my best to him. What my parents taught me, I want to give it to him. I don’t want to be on a wheelchair or be bed-ridden while he grows up.

“Recently, I was shooting in London for three months. I missed Abhay a lot and when I saw him for his first birthday he was walking. I was happy, but also sad because I missed his first walk. My wife did sent me a video, but it wasn’t the same.

The flops

“Definitely. I do feel sad when my films don’t work. But I am not the one who’ll keep thinking about it for months. I like all the films I have done, but people haven’t liked all. I take it as a learning process, otherwise I will not be able to work. I never go into a shell and think about my failures. I am not that kind of a person. If people don’t like a film that means that I haven’t done it properly. So I try to do better in my next film. And I have many friends in the industry who support me always. Be it S.S. Rajamouli, Vinayak, Rajiv Kanakala, Koratala Siva or Vakkantham Vamsi, they are all fantastic friends. Apart from them, my best friend is Kalyan anna. I always believe in them and no one takes me the wrong way. Even when someone cheats me, I don’t take it seriously.”

Which brings us to all that attention from the press. “I am the only lead actor who’s always in the news. I really don’t know why. I don’t want to respond to those rumours and I don’t know why people are always talking about me. The ones who are close to me know what I am and what I have done. I am responsible for my parents, my wife, my brother and they all know what I am. If I started explaining everything, it would take a whole lifetime.”

Just chillin’

“Cooking has always been my stressbuster. Whenever I am stressed, I cook a good meal for my wife. Many people don’t know this but I’m actually a great cook. I can cook everything and I cook very well.”

Another stressbuster are holidays. “I have taken my family to a lot of places on vacation, but Dubai remains one of our favourites. I shop a lot — a total shopping freak! Recently, we were in London and we are now planning to go somewhere else soon. Now though, whenever I see a toy shop, I stop and think of just buying toys for Abhay. More than for us, we are shopping for his these days.”

On Nannaku Prematho

Nannaku Prematho is not only important for Jr NTR because it is his 25th film, but also because he needs a hit desperately. His last hit film was Temper.

“We never thought of Nannaku Prematho initially, we want to do some other subject. But while director Sukumar was working on the other subject, his father passed away. Sukumar later narrated this story to me, which was about a wish of a dying father. That’s how the film happened,” says Jr NTR.

He reveals that his bearded look was finalised after a lot of trial and error. “There was no intention for us to come up with this bearded look. But once we started doing research globally, we finally decided on this. Initially people scared me as they said that the look was very radical, but I am confident about Sukumar because his films and the protagonist in them are always different.

“After the first look was revealed we got amazing response and we never had second thoughts,” he says.

About the story, Jr NTR says that it is about a son who wants to fulfill his father’s last wish. “It’s a visual treat. There are no big dialogues or action, but it is a good emotional film. I take every character personally, otherwise I can’t act. I am not saying that I am a great actor, but without taking it personally I can’t perform,” he says.

He adds that he is very poor in romance. “I pity myself as I can’t do romance on screen. Even Rajamouli jokes often that while I do everything well, when it comes to romance, I look nervous,” says Jr NTR.

“There is a rumour that I always prefer hit directors and do not work with flop directors. I want to clarify that this is totally wrong. I am now working with Sukumar who hasn’t had a hit; and I have worked earlier with Rajamouli, V.V. Vinayak, Vara Mullapudi and Paidipalli Vamsi when they didn’t have any hits to their credit. I don’t believe in all this as I go with the subject.”

Want Dictator to do well

Asked about the competition he will face given the other Sankranti releases, he says, “Nowadays most films run only for two weeks. It’s not about how many days they run, but how much money they collect. So producers want to release their films during Sankranti, summer and Dasara. People want to see films during these seasons and there are many instances in the past when many films released during Sankranti. I don’t think that there is anything wrong and I hope all the four films do well at the box-office,” he adds.

When asked whether the fans will be divided as two films from the same family are releasing, he says it is not true. “There is no clash between two Nandamuri heroes. I don’t think that there is any clash. I want my film to do well and also for babai’s film to do well,” he says.

“There is no enmity between my uncle and I. I have never said anything and neither has Babai, some third persons are making an issue out of it.”

Jr NTR also stresses that he is not the heir to the late N.T. Rama Rao. He says, “I am not his heir (varasudu), I am just his grandson and that’s the biggest thing in my life,” he says.