Time for some crazy Manoranjan

He comes from a family whose first language has always been films. His father V Ravichandran — the Crazy Star of Sandalwood is a force to reckon with and his grandfather, the late Veeraswamy, was a legendary producer in the South.

Now, taking this legacy forward, debutant Manoranjan Ravichandran’s first release Saheba directed by Bharath is ready to hit the screens. The Junior Crazy Star, who initially chose cricket as a career, has embraced films now.

Manoranjan, who celebrated his birthday this week, speaks exclusively with Bengaluru Chronicle about his films, including the second project which is already underway, his inspirational father, and much more in this exclusive chat.

“My father had launched me with an ambitious project called Premalokadalli Ranadheera but he got busy with Apoorva. Everyone knows, he is a perfectionist, so he re-shot Apoorva several times as he was not happy with it, and my launch project was postponed. However, it was always on the cards, and it might start soon, when my father is ready to take it up. It was one of dad’s friends who approached me for Saheba. I heard the story and was impressed with the subject, and even my father who is very particular about content, okayed it,” says Manoranjan.

Manoranjan reveals about his passion for cricket, “Though my father talks only about films, we grew up in an atmosphere where we all made our own choices. I started playing cricket and even reached district level. It is when I was about to make my entry into state level that my hand was injured. I guess acting and films was in my blood and I eventually embraced it. Though my first attempts came with heavy baggage and expectations, I have made sure that the subject is real and gives me the scope to act naturally without any added heroic element,” he says, adding that he always wanted to make an entry with a boy-next-door image.

Even before the release of Saheba, which also features the pretty actress Shanvi Srivastava, Manoranjan is busy with his second mega venture directed by Nanda Kishore, who is on a roll with back-to-back commercial successes. It is the remake of Dhanush’s 25th Tamil venture VIP.

“I have been closely associated with Saheba and am aware of every detail. I did not take any special classes or any workshop as Bharath insisted that I should be natural. When I heard that Shanvi (who has already acted in star projects) was a part of the cast, I was skeptical about how she would react on the sets. But, she turned out to be a great human being with a down-to-earth attitude. We are now good friends who talk about nothing but films!” he smiles, adding, “My father has always been there for me and he knows everything about the film, even if he is not around the shooting. My second film which is a remake of Tamil star Dhanush’s 25th hit film VIP  is a challenge as many would obviously make comparisons. I have tried to be me and do justice to the character. A lot of preparation has gone into its making.”

From shedding weight from 106 kg to a fitter version onscreen, Manoranjan has come a long way. He reveals that he was always treated as a normal kid and never used his father's image for any gain. “I always introduced myself as Manoranjan, son of a businessman in my school and college. My mother, brother and sister are eagerly awaiting for Saheba and hoping for the best, but I am a bit nervous, and even my father too, I guess,” he signs off.