I believe in marriage: Anand Deverakonda

Imagine the plight of a newlywed guy who is all excited to go on a honeymoon with his wife only to find she has eloped. That’s exactly the plot of Anand’s Deverakonda’s upcoming film Pushpaka Vimanam.

“What stood out for me is that the protagonist is a loser; very rarely do you see that in Telugu cinema,” says Anand, who is also actor Vijay Deverakonda’s brother. “His efforts to downplay the fact that his wife eloped hooked me instantly. I liked my character design and storyline and went ahead and signed the film.”

Then confessing that he was laughing throughout the film’s narration, Anand tells us that the story is different from regular films. “It’s a very strange situation to be in, isn’t it?” he asks sincerely. “Even so, the audience will empathise with the protagonist and bat for his journey as he searches for his eloped wife.”

Anand, who plays a newly recruited young government teacher in the Damodara directorial, says that playing the role had its challenges, with him have to unlearn several things in the process. “To get a comprehensive understanding of the character design, we even did workshop sessions before the film went on floors. It helped me ensure that my gestures, body languages and gait resonate with that of the character I play,” explains the actor.

Surely, emoting comedy while having to remain sad is quite a task. His character in the film is frustrated. Even so, his role was such that he had ensured his audience laughed with his expressions. “This character pushed me a lot as an actor; the layers and the emotions the role goes through gave me a new dimension as an actor,” says the Dorasani actor.

In tune with his role

Anand describes director Damodar as someone who’s very experimental and doesn’t shy away from trying out new things. “He’s an exciting talent and a superb writer.”

Having done films on relationships, Anand probably has his own take on marriage. “Yes, I believe in the institution of marriage,” he replies, adding that he believes marriage keeps one grounded.

“I also see it as an institution crucial for survival. And as I get to the age of marriage, I see my friends and cousins enter wedlock and also hear about breakups very soon after marriage. But it wasn’t the case two decades ago, and my director and I attempted to make a fun film on marriage and relationship.”
And does having a star brother like Vijay Deverakonda at home become helpful for him while discussing scripts?

“First it was my father who listened to the script, then me, and then Vijay, who was also excited for me. So the process happened organically. But since we’re bankrolling the film, I realised the stress levels that go into the production. It’s very tough,” he says.

While he does face comparisons with Vijay, Anand is happy being himself. “I don’t want to get carried away with my brother’s success. It’s his journey and hard work. I want to have my own too, although my family is always there around to back me,” he says.