Cameo roles get big banners

Naga Shaurya was initially cast as a cameo in director Nandini Reddy’s Oh! Baby. But in the end, his role, which got fleshed out and became full-fledged, won much praise. The actor shares how it all happened. “Actually, Nandini hesitated to ask me at first. So she narrated the story to my mother who liked the story and wanted me to play the part. But had Nandini asked me directly, I would’ve grabbed the role because she’s like my sister,” he says.

To be or not to be
So given the success of this film, would he take on more cameo roles? Not unless he likes the subject, he tells us. “But I’ll definitely do it for two directors — Nandini and Avasarala Srinivas. They  are special to me, and I’ll never say no to them,” he clarifies. But another reason for the actor to take on the role was the senior actress Lakshmi. “I wanted to do a film with Lakshmi garu after I saw the film Murari (2001). And though I don’t have scenes with her in this film, I’d met her on the first day and even spoke to her. Moreover, I got to act with Samantha who plays the younger version of Lakshmi garu, so I was happy,” adds the actor.
Shaurya has good things to say about his co-star Samantha, too. “She may be a big star, but she’s very down to earth. She’s a professional, and also takes care of her co-stars,” says Shaurya.

The action star
Shaurya had recently injured himself while shooting for another film in Vizag. But he is back, claiming to have recovered quickly, and is shooting for his next film.
“It was an action scene and I want to do on my own without any body-double because, now-a-days, audience is observant of everything. Moreover, it’s an intense scene, so I preferred to do it on my own,” explains the actor. Some of his upcoming films include Palana Abbayi Palana Ammayi directed by Avasarala, Ashwathama and another titled Parthu.