Oscar-winning music composer Keeravani is his father, and director S.S. Rajamouli is his uncle. His mother Srivalli is the executive (line) producer. However, despite his illustrious family background, Simha says he is his own man — as an actor, he chooses his scripts himself.
“Yes, my father and Rajamouli garu are always there for me whenever I need them. I ask them for suggestions whenever I’m in a dilemma.”
They clarify my doubts but do not tell me whether I should do a film or not. They leave that to my intuition,” says Simha.
However, Simha shares that Rajamouli and Keeravani do give him feedback after a film is released. “They tell me where I should have focussed more, etc. That helps me in my next film,” he says.
Nepotism is much in focus in the film industry now, but Simha tries not to place too much emphasis on his famous relatives. “It’s always inspiring to have such towering personalities in your family but I try not to think about it. If I take it for granted that I am Keeravani’s son, I cannot do justice to the characters I play,” the actor says, adding that having an illustrious family background has both pros and cons and he’s trying to balance them. “You may get openings, but ultimately the audience watches a film only if it is good,” he points out.
While Simha is into acting, his elder brother Kaala Bhairava is into music and playback singing (much like his father). When we ask Simha about his bonding with his brother, he says they share everything and are more like friends than siblings. “We watch films together and discuss them, including the technical and acting aspects. We complement each other well and have mutual admiration,” he adds.
In order to learn more about all the aspects of filmmaking before becoming a lead actor, Simha worked as Assistant Director (AD) to director Sukumar for the film Rangasthalam. He says he did so without revealing his identity, and when Sukumar later came to know it, he was shocked. “But he also appreciated my approach to work,” the actor adds.
“My father wants us to be independent and try things on our own. He wants us to learn the hard way so that we respect work and value what we accomplish,” he shares.
Simha is slowly trying to carve a niche for himself in Tollywood. His debut film Mathu Vadalara (2019) was a superhit. But his subsequent films Dongalunnaru Jaagratha and Thellavarithe Guruvaram did not live up to expectations. However, the youngster didn’t lose heart, and is back with another film, Bhaag Sale.
“It’s a crime comedy directed by Praneeth Bramandapally. The film revolves around a fight for a ring,” says the actor who plays Arjun, a youngster who wants to start a restaurant. “The protagonist’s romantic interest wants the ring so he battles the antagonist to get it at any cost and prove his love,” Simha adds. The film is high on comedy and the actor underwent workshops before commencing work. “The comic timing is extremely important. I worked on my diction and on my expressions to get them right,” he says.
Interestingly, most of his films belong to the crime comedy genre. Asked why he favours that genre, Simha says it’s merely coincidence. “I was never particular about any genre; it just happened. I don’t want to be labelled, I want to be versatile as an actor. And going forward, I want to do different kinds of films,” he says.
He may have been to the sets of many films with his father as a child. but Simha says being on the sets as a lead actor is a different proposition. He finds shouldering a film challenging.
“I am learning with each film and also trying to evolve. I can see that my approach to filmmaking is slowly changing,” he elaborates.
Earlier this year, Keeravani (along with lyricist Chandrabose) won an Oscar for the song Naatu Natu from RRR. When asked to describe his feelings on that occasion, Simha says it was a proud moment. He says they were happy to be nominated for the award, and actually winning it was the icing on the cake.
“After the celebrations at the Oscars, we came back home and hosted a quiet family get-together. We were more than happy that the audience and the entire nation was talking about the song Naatu Naatu. We were thrilled when Hollywood actors and directors praised the film. The trip to the Oscars was a memorable one,” he reminisces.
