No jitters for Mahesh Babu

Mahesh Babu says that he was extremely tensed before Srimanthudu released. But he is getting no jitters ahead of Brahmotsavam.

“Srimanthudu was very important for me and my career at that time, so I was tensed. But for Brahmotsavam, honestly speaking, I am more excited because of its content. I have attempted something new and I am keen to see how the audience receives it,” says Mahesh Babu.

The actor says that the film is like a celebration. “Our concept is that life is like a celebration. This film will definitely remind you of the moments you have forgotten in your life. When Srikanth Addala narrated the story to me I was blown away and decided to do it immediately,” he says, adding that the concept is all the more important in the modern context.

Mahesh Babu was approached for Brahmotsavam when Srimanthudu was under production and he locked his dates. “After I decided to do it, I never changed my mind. Srimanthudu became a huge hit but I don’t let that impact this film. I believe in content and I go accordingly.”

Realistic sketches

Talking about the senior actors in the film, Mahesh says, “Srikanth’s screenplay is very simple and realistic. Most of his stories are related to live characters or people he has met or incidents that happened in his life. So the senior actors look fresh in the film and it was a great honour for me to work with them,” says the actor.

About the film being delayed, he says, “There were many combinations, so if shooting got cancelled for one day, it was a hectic job for us to gather 25 artistes. That’s the reason for the delay, otherwise the film was completed quickly. We started in September and the film is releasing in May, so I believe it’s quite fast,” he says.

On his young looks

The superstar is looking quite young in the film. What’s the secret? “When Srikanth narrated the story, he used to say ‘aa abbayi, aa kurradu’ many times, that made me change my body language and look young. Cinematographer Ratnavelu helped a lot and we decided to use T-shirts and jeans to look young for the role,” says Mahesh.

Interestingly, not a single scene was shot abroad for the film, not even the songs. “The story revolves around Vijayawada and if we suddenly showed some foreign locations, it would look odd; so we decided to shoot the songs here,” he says.

A better person

The actor says that the film has made him a good human being. “After I completed Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu, I bonded with Venkatesh Garu in real life. We became very good friends and we still are. For Brahmotsavam, I bonded with everyone in Ooty…we would have lunch together and discuss stuff. This bonding with everyone, and the emotions, makes you a better person.

Everyone should change, otherwise you can’t grow as a person in life,” he says.
Talking about adopting villages (his ancestral village in AP and one in TS), he says that many people think that he adopted them for publicity. “It was not my idea. When the film was under production, my brother-in-law Jay Galla came up with the idea and I agreed. I didn’t announce it at that time because I don’t want to use it for my film’s publicity. I have started work and its just the beginning. In two years, I will show you how I have developed the villages…my main focus is on education and health.”

Lucky kids

Mahesh believes that his daughter attending the audio launch of the film will be lucky for him. “My son Gautham attended the SVSC audio function and it became a huge hit. And now my daughter has attended and I feel lucky. I believe children’s blessings are very powerful,” says the superstar.

He is now planning to take his kids on vacation. “I am planning to take a 15-day break with my family and go to UK this time,” he says. Asked who he thinks is the best dancer in the industry, Mahesh says without hesitation: “Jr NTR is the best”.

About his next project with A.R. Murugadoss, he says. “It’s a dream come true for to me to work with Murugadoss sir. It’s a bilingual and there are a lot of rumours about the film, but none of them are true. It’s a commercial film but it’s too early to talk about it,” he says.