Raj Tarun is here to stay

After a year’s gap, young actor Raj Tarun will now be seen in Kittu Unnadu Jagratha. Post that, the actor has three to four films lined up and he says that he will not have such long gaps from this year onwards. “It was not deliberate. I was just concentrating on the subject and then the pre-production work took time,” explains the actor. Describing the film, he says, “I play a dog kidnapper in this film. There is an element of crime, but it is mostly an entertainer.”

The actor is happy with the way his career is shaping up. “Cinema is my passion and I live my dreams by doing films,” he says. His first three films tasted success and he created his own market. But the actor reveals, “I never look into the numbers and how much a film collects. I always think of doing a good film and working hard on it to get success. In the end, it is the audience who decide the fate of a film. I am happy that my films are collecting good revenues and it definitely helps to get good openings for my future films.” He adds that he isn’t under pressure, ever. “I don’t aim to score a bigger hit than my previous film but put in equal hard work for all my films,” he says.

Starting off as an assistant director, Raj Tarun went on to become an actor. So, does he give inputs to the director when approached with a story? “If I have any doubts, I check with the director and clear them. Once the script work is completed and ready for shoot, I follow the director and it is his call from then onwards,” he says, adding that he will definitely direct a film in the future. “I can’t tell when, but if I find a good script, I can direct at any time,” he says confidently.

The actor also clears the air about Sathamanam Bhavathi and Nenu Local, films which he was supposed to do. “Dil Raju garu actually planned Sathamanam Bhavathi for a Sankranti release, but it clashed with my dates as I was doing another film. As for Nenu Local, Dil Raju said that the film was fit only for Nani. His judgement was right and the film is now a hit,” he says, clarifying, “It’s not true that I walked out of those projects.”

On why he prefers to work with debutants and young upcoming directors, Raj explains, “They approach me with good scripts and new ideas and these films are more important to them than me. They give their all to the film and don’t think of anything else. It is always good to work with the same age group too.”

His upcoming film, Kittu Unnadu Jagratha has a lot of dogs in it. In real life too, Raj Tarun loves dogs. “I am a dog lover and have thirteen dogs in my house. I used six of my own dogs in the film along with the other dogs,” he reveals.

The avid dog lover has several different breeds of dogs, including Beagles, a Pointer and a few Pomeranians. Narrating a few incidents, the actor says, “One day, I visited a hospital and saw a German Shepherd lying in a corner. The doctor told me that the owner had left it there after a surgery. I told them that I wanted to take it home and offered to treat it. Two days later, the situation was the same, so I immediately shifted the dog to my house and treated him. He is still with me. Once, when I was on a drive to Bangalore, I saw a small puppy and took it home.” The actor further adds. “An entire floor in my house is dedicated to them and I have two caretakers too. The little ones hang out in my room regularly.”

Raj Tarun says that he is not a party animal as he mostly stays at home and spends time watching movies whenever he gets time. Talking of friends from the industry, he shares, “Nikhil (actor) is my best friend. I was more tensed than him when Ekkadiki Pothavu Chinnavada released. He is very close to me and it is good to see that suchfilms are really doing well, giving us confidence to try something new.”