Come September it will be 15 years since Naga Chaitanya made his debut as an actor with Josh. Unlike many of his south Indian peers who are blurring cinematic borders, Chaitanya isn’t swayed by the glittering promise of Bollywood. Despite a relatively late Bollywood foray alongside Aamir Khan in Lal Singh Chaddha (which came 13 years after his Tollywood debut!), Chaitanya’s heart seems set on Telugu cinema. He’s not chasing mere pan-India appeal; compelling stories, regardless of language, are what truly drive this discerning actor. “Audiences accept good content in any language,” he declares. The Akkineni scion has “no specific plans to do Bollywood films because majority of south Indian films are being dubbed into Hindi anyway.” He’ll only return if the role is worthy. “I did Lal Singh because it was an honour to work with Aamir Khan. He’s someone I look up to. If any such good roles come my way, I’m game,” he quips.
“Larger-than-life visual extravaganzas are the only thing pulling audiences to theatres”
The actor seems to be moving away from his romantic hero image as of late. His last film, Custody, was a period action thriller, where he played a police constable who gets pitted against a dreaded gangster. In the neo-noir thriller Dhootha, which marked his OTT debut, he played a morally ambiguous journalist. The Majili actor believes that larger-than-life visual extravaganzas are the only thing pulling audiences to theatres during this OTT phase. “Having said that, you simply can’t put up a visual extravaganza because that’s what the market requires,” he says. “It must be an organic process in which the content dictates the project’s scope, and most importantly, you must suit the character.”
“I spent nearly nine months preparing for Thandel”
The actor is pushing the envelope further with his upcoming film, Thandel, which sees him playing a real-life character for the first time. Helmed by Karthikeya director Chandu Mondeti, the film tells the story of Raju, a fisherman from Srikakulam who wandered into Pakistani waters and spent nearly two years in jail before returning to India. Admittedly, Chay “spent nearly nine months preparing for the role.” Talking about the extensive prep, he explains, “It’s such an inspirational story. I wanted to make sure I get everything right, especially the Srikakulam accent. I went to Raju’s house and was amazed by his sheer determination and bravery. I spent time with the fishermen to understand their struggles.”
Sai Pallavi plays Bujji, Raju’s lady love. “Raju and Bujji fought against overwhelming odds. Their love for one another left me overwhelmed. Thandel could not have come at a better moment for me in that regard. It’s the biggest film of my career, and I needed this role,” he adds.
“Finding the right balance between passions is the secret to success”
An avowed lover of Japanese cuisine, bikes, and sports cars, Chaitanya took his passion for food a notch higher when he ventured into the cloud kitchen business a year- and-a -half ago. “The food business has long been a part of the family. My dad (actor Nagarjuna) invested in a couple of restaurants, so I was already familiar with that part. I wanted to open a restaurant, but because of the pandemic, I decided that going the ‘cloud way’ was the best option. When it comes to my love for bikes and cars, I grew up in Chennai, and there was a racecourse nearby. Then Formula One and Michael Schumacher happened,” he shares.
Given that acting is and will always remain his first love, how does he find the time to balance his work and passion? “Isn’t that the secret to success, finding that balance?” he quips in an almost philosophical tone. “Prioritising, that’s what I guess it’s all about. Some people are doing it successfully and we just learn from them and keep moving forward, taking motivation from them.”
By- Sridhar Adivi
“Larger-than-life visual extravaganzas are the only thing pulling audiences to theatres”
The actor seems to be moving away from his romantic hero image as of late. His last film, Custody, was a period action thriller, where he played a police constable who gets pitted against a dreaded gangster. In the neo-noir thriller Dhootha, which marked his OTT debut, he played a morally ambiguous journalist. The Majili actor believes that larger-than-life visual extravaganzas are the only thing pulling audiences to theatres during this OTT phase. “Having said that, you simply can’t put up a visual extravaganza because that’s what the market requires,” he says. “It must be an organic process in which the content dictates the project’s scope, and most importantly, you must suit the character.”
“I spent nearly nine months preparing for Thandel”
The actor is pushing the envelope further with his upcoming film, Thandel, which sees him playing a real-life character for the first time. Helmed by Karthikeya director Chandu Mondeti, the film tells the story of Raju, a fisherman from Srikakulam who wandered into Pakistani waters and spent nearly two years in jail before returning to India. Admittedly, Chay “spent nearly nine months preparing for the role.” Talking about the extensive prep, he explains, “It’s such an inspirational story. I wanted to make sure I get everything right, especially the Srikakulam accent. I went to Raju’s house and was amazed by his sheer determination and bravery. I spent time with the fishermen to understand their struggles.”
Sai Pallavi plays Bujji, Raju’s lady love. “Raju and Bujji fought against overwhelming odds. Their love for one another left me overwhelmed. Thandel could not have come at a better moment for me in that regard. It’s the biggest film of my career, and I needed this role,” he adds.
“Finding the right balance between passions is the secret to success”
An avowed lover of Japanese cuisine, bikes, and sports cars, Chaitanya took his passion for food a notch higher when he ventured into the cloud kitchen business a year- and-a -half ago. “The food business has long been a part of the family. My dad (actor Nagarjuna) invested in a couple of restaurants, so I was already familiar with that part. I wanted to open a restaurant, but because of the pandemic, I decided that going the ‘cloud way’ was the best option. When it comes to my love for bikes and cars, I grew up in Chennai, and there was a racecourse nearby. Then Formula One and Michael Schumacher happened,” he shares.
Given that acting is and will always remain his first love, how does he find the time to balance his work and passion? “Isn’t that the secret to success, finding that balance?” he quips in an almost philosophical tone. “Prioritising, that’s what I guess it’s all about. Some people are doing it successfully and we just learn from them and keep moving forward, taking motivation from them.”
By- Sridhar Adivi
