‘Realised the significance of mental ability’

After the 2021-film Varudu Kaavalenu, in which he played a lover-boy architect, the actor will be seen in a sharp contrast in his next film, Lakshya, a sports drama, may be a quintessential tale of an underdog archer who wants to prove his worth to the world. However, Naga Shaurya assures us that there’s enough emotion and drama woven into the narrative.

However, though the actor was always keen on doing a film in this space, when he first heard the story, he says he was sceptical about the sport being archery, especially as it’s not a sport most people know the rules of.

“But we took inspiration from the 2004-Rajamouli-directorial Sye, which was also a sports drama with rugby as the central element. No one knew about that sport but the way the director wove emotions into it was simply amazing,” elaborates Naga Shaurya as he explains his change of mind to finally play the role. “We realised we could do a similar job for our film despite the sport.”

Tough to stay physically and mentally fit

Naturally, the Santhossh-Jagarlapudi directorial required the actor to give a lot of time for his role of an archer. And he was game. “I was hooked to the core point of the film — win yourself and win the world,” he explains. “It’s a role everyone can strike a chord with.”

However, apart from being transformed physically for the part, working on his diet and physique to flaunt his six-pack abs, the actor had other challenges. Gathering mental resilience was one such.

“I initially thought that I could get the required abs and complete the film in six months, but because of COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdowns, the film got delayed. And I found it extremely challenging to sustain such a physique for over two years,” reveals the actor. “It was then I realised the significance of mental ability.”

Even so, he’s quick to add, the upbeat crew members and how the film shaped up were somethings he drew strength from. Being a producer himself, Shaurya always believes that a film’s budget should reflect on screen. “For this film, although I’m an actor, I told my filmmakers not to spend on things that cannot be visible on screen. I believe there’s no point in investing on something that can’t be visible to the audience,” he adds with a smile.