Desi superhero film HanuMan, a blockbuster

Teja Sajja’s latest release HanuMan has been declared a box office hit. The Prashanth Varma directorial is registering terrific numbers both at the domestic market and overseas. Teja is overwhelmed with the love being poured in for the film.

“The response has been extraordinary; it’s just yet to sink in. HanuMan proved that audiences are game to appreciate good cinema,” Teja said, adding, this is one of the best Sankranti gifts he has ever had. He describes the super success of the film as ‘team effort.’

Teja has got the biggest break in his career and is glad that the fantasy genre film has been unanimously accepted by the audience.

When the super hero film was offered to Teja, he was excited. He wanted to do the ambitious film because of the scale and the way the film is written. “I started preparing to bulk up and put on weight for my role. One day the director was surprised to see me going to the gym. He then told me not to put on weight and that he wants me to be as I am because the film is about an ordinary guy who gets super powers,” reveals Teja.

Craves for fantasy genre

Like HunuMan, Teja’s earlier films Zombie Reddy and Adbhutham also belong to the fantasy genre. We asked the actor what’s his fascination towards such genres. Heascribes his love to the impact such genre films created during his childhood. “Films like Deviputrudu, Ammoru, etc., have made a lasting impression in my mind. In fact, even now there’s still a kid alive in me and that makes me crave for fantasy films,” says the actor who describes HanuMan as our own desi super hero film.

As a child actor, Teja was part of a slew of films in the 90’s and early 2000s. We ask him whether being a child actor worked to his advantage. He says it did help him become camera-friendly.” I started to act when I was three years old, so by the time I found my sense of acting I started to embrace the camera. Being a child actor there’s no insecurity in me, and I became more confident as I have been working in films for a while,” the actor asserts. He also says that being a child actor made him understand the process of filmmaking and the trade dynamics better. “As a result, I feel I have an edge.”

Faced challenges

According to him, life as an actor has been very tough. He says it’s rosy outside but every day is a challenge trying to live up to the expectations. “Every release is like an exam so it constantly keeps us on our toes.”

Teja may be familiar to the industry being a child actor, but he is also considered as an outsider because he doesn’t come from a filmy family. “Yeah, it’s a bit tricky,” he smiles.

“But I am fortunate that I am in a better position comparatively. I have been auditioning since 2014 and I have several rejections too. But deep down I was confident that one day I will crack it. And that confidence I got from being a child actor. So even during failures I did not lose spirit and stayed positive.”

Being an actor who belongs to the new-age, Teja says that he had to face a lot of challenges. He feels that a lot of people are opinionated and don’t even give actors like him the benefit of doubt. He adds that they don’t even stand a chance till the first few days of the film’s release.

“The verdict is out after the first show. This is because the shelf life of a film has become very less, so it becomes easy to judge our work. But films are a collaborative effort, sometimes all the things don’t fall in the right place at the right time,” he says.

“I have been auditioning since 2014 and I have several rejections too. But deep down I was confident that one day I will crack it. And that confidence I got from being a child actor. So even during failures I did not lose spirit and stayed positive.”