Chiru, as he is fondly called by his fans, has a layered role in the Koratala Siva directorial. He looks extremely fit in the posters, ready to give the youngsters a run for their money!
The actor says he had to do a lot of preparation to get back into the groove and admits the transformation was challenging. “After getting into politics, somehow my body was out of shape due to stress, a chaotic itinerary, etc. But after making a comeback into films, I decided to get back into shape. Charan (his son Ram Charan) arranged for a gymnasium in the house, and there was a huge change in the diet plan,” says Chiru.
Son turns producer
Interestingly, Acharya also features Ram Charan in a significant role. Chiru says that working with his son has been a great experience. “Not too many actors will get the opportunity to work with their sons, but I am blessed that I have got it,” beams Chiru, adding that that the scenes involving him and his son are very intense and emotional.
Charan recently turned producer and has been producing his father’s films. “Charan is acting and also producing films. I can see a change in his approach after he turning producer. He’s looking at scripts in totality and at the same time assessing the feasibility of the content,” he explains, adding that as a producer, Charan is trying to come up with interesting content and be different from other filmmakers.
He also feels that Charan has evolved as an actor and it was particularly evident in the emotional scenes in Acharya. “He looks so mature and the way he performed really impressed me,” smiles Chiru.
“However, I want him to work on mass comedy films. It’s an area I enjoy very much because from childhood I loved watching Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy, etc.” reveals the actor, and says the ‘comic quotient’ is present naturally in him.
Regional lines are blurring
Telugu films are going pan-Indian, thanks to the likes of Baahubali, Pushpa, KGF, RRR, etc.
Chiru is proud that Telugu cinema has achieved global status and that the North-South divide is being removed.
“I remember during the late 80’s, I went to North India to collect an award (Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration) for my film Rudraveena.”
At the high tea at the event, they had displayed photos of all the top actors from Hindi cinema, but there was hardly any mention of the South. I felt humiliated,” recalls, Chiru. He was disheartened that stalwarts of the Telugu screen, like NTR, ANR and SVR, did not find a place in the display.
“That’s why I hail Rajamouli for taking a film like Baahubali to the North. When people recognize our Telugu cinema at the global level, I feel prouder than anyone because I know what I went through back then,” maintains the actor.
Gone are the times where an actor is happy being a superstar on his home turf. We are entering a zone where actors are pan-Indian stars. Chiru says the script of Acharya was written to cater to a wide audience.
A family of superstars
Several members of Chiranjeevi's family are actors. Apart from his son, his younger brothers (Pawan Kalyan and Naga Babu), nephews (Allu Arjun, Sirish, Sai Dharam Tej, Varun Tej, Vaishnav Tej, etc) are all into films.
Looking at the family tradition with pride, Chiru says his heart is filled with joy and gratitude. “What else, I can ask for?” he asks.
“I once told my brother Pawan Kalyan that I wanted my family to be in South cinema what the Kapoor family is in Hindi cinema. I am so glad to see how these youngsters have grown up and made a mark for themselves in cinema,” beams Chiru.
