Actor Ram Pothineni was only 17 years old when he tasted success with his debut film, Devadasu. This was however, followed by a flop, Jagadam. Now, at 28, the actor says that it has all been a part of learning for him. “It’s been a rollercoaster ride for me. I have seen success and failure at a young age. I have learnt so much and do not take anything seriously anymore.”
Expectations from his upcoming film, Hyper, are very high as his earlier film, Nenu Sailaja was a stupendous success. But the actor takes it all in his stride and says that he neither does homework nor attends workshops for any film before it starts. “I only interact with the director, other team members and discuss my character and the film,” he says.
Ram is quite the loner who doesn’t hang out much or goes to parties or big events. Strangely enough, the actor says, “If you lock me up in a room alone, I will be the happiest person as it gives me peace of mind. I never get bored.” He adds, “I love spending time with myself.”
Even on a break, the actor prefers to travel alone. “I travel abroad alone and switch off my mobile. I take a private number. Earlier, I used to stay in hotels, now I rent out places and spend time alone,” he says. Ram reveals that he likes to cook, go for walks and watch movies during his time off.
His upcoming film, Hyper, has a social message and Ram says that commercial elements were added only to enthrall and entertain the audience. This is the second time that Raashi Khanna, who plays the female lead, will be paired with him. They had earlier acted with each other in Shivam, although both, the film and the lead pair was squarely criticised.
So why was Raashi picked again for this film? “I never believe in anyone’s personal success or failure. I only look at the script and then follow the director. Raashi’s comic touch was good in her earlier film, so we roped her in. In this film, you will see that our chemistry is different,” explains Ram.
Ram likes to watch other actors’ films and messages them if he likes their work. “I prefer texting them personally rather than putting it on Twitter,” he says. The actor names Riteish Deshmukh and wife Genelia as his close friends. “Whenever I go to Mumbai, I go to their house and play with their kids. We talk a lot about films too.”
As for marriage, Ram says that his parents are looking for a match and that he is not worried about it. So what about his future project, where he plays a deaf person? Ram says, “My next project is not finalized yet. I will announce it in a few days.”
