“In fitness, there are no short cuts. It involves immense discipline and hard work.”
“I’m very thankful to all my fans for their constant love and support. I am what I am because of their unconditional love.”
“I struggled to kick the habit – I would make a decision to give up smoking, but it was hard. I couldn’t resist the urge to steal a smoke. It was at that time that I was gifted Allen Carr’s book ‘The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.’ After I read that book, I didn’t touch a fag again.”
“Stress and looks are directly connected as far as I am concerned. If you are happy, you look good.”
“I am very close to my brother Ramesh Babu. When my father was away for shootings, my brother would take care of me, and I am very close to him, and yes, Dad’s always special. He used to call me and enquire about my film’s progress. Whenever I deliver a hit, I can see a glow on my father’s face.”
“Everyone should change; otherwise, you can’t grow as a person in life.”
“’Bramhotsavam’ is a celebration of families, life and togetherness. It’s a film I hold close to my heart.”
“Once I finish shooting, I head straight home and spend time with my family. It’s only when I have to promote my films that I make public appearances.”
“My father is an amazing person. While he was a huge star, he never carried his stardom home and always remained simple and just our father at home. I have four siblings, and we were all very grounded. We lived a very simple life: would go in an auto rickshaw to school, played with normal boys.”
“My father is my idol, and I have grown up watching his films. He is my biggest influence and inspiration. I have learnt a lot from him, and I am who I am because of him. I’m extremely grateful to him for that.”
“In modern life, we tend to forget family values because of the hectic schedule.”
“When my film flops, I believe it is my mistake. There have been times when I didn’t come out of my house because my films didn’t do well. I lock myself in for months. I don’t talk to people. I feel bad for producer, director, for those who lost money. It’s never about myself or my career alone.”
“From my childhood, I am like this. I never go parties and attend functions.”
“I don’t want to smoke on screen, as I will be sending a wrong message to my fans, and I appeal to my costars too, to avoid smoking scenes if possible.”
“Our entire film fraternity should be proud of ‘Baahubali.’ These are the kind of films that are not made very often.”
“If you have a happy home, everything is sorted, I guess.”
“When people say they take hits and flops in their stride, I personally feel that they are just lying. Of course, I’m upset when my movies flop. I take it very personally.”
“Being a father is the most important thing, if you ask me. It changed me as a person and gave me an all new life.”
“I eat right and stay healthy as much as possible.”
“Emotions should be real; one shouldn’t come across as acting.”
“I don’t know how to put it, but I don’t have many friends. All my friends circle was in Madras, and I lost touch with them. But I’m friends with all my directors, and they are very important for me.”
“No good actor ever stops learning. He is constantly evolving.”
“Pressure is there with any release of mine. It’s more my own, as I need to surpass my own expectations.”
“’Brahmotsavam’ is a love story set in a family backdrop… It’s all about relationships people have on different levels.”
“While I did not get any formal training in acting, every summer vacation, from the age of five, my father would take me to Ooty with him, and I would do films as a child star. I did over 10 films like that, and it was understood that post finishing my education, I would become an actor.”
“To be honest, I have never thought about getting into direction.”
“Siva is one of the best writers in the industry, and ‘Srimanthudu’ is a great script.”
“As long as I am acting, I will do only Telugu films. I want to take Telugu films to the world. Everyone should talk about our films.”
“Any film I do needs to excite me at a script level.”
“Directing a film requires a different set of skills. It is a difficult job, and I am happy being an actor.”
“My father is my inspiration.”
“’Baahubali’s success augurs well for the Telugu film industry as a whole. It has opened up new markets.”
“Personal life? I’d like to keep it private.”
“I like to tread uncharted territory and push myself in terms of performance.”
“People used to say I’m weak in comedy. But, with ‘Mahesh Khaelja’ and ‘Dookudu,’ I have proved that I am good at comedy.”
“Getting in and out of a character takes its own time for me.”
“I was 13 – 14 when I first tasted stardom. In the summer holidays, my dad made me act in these films that went on to become superhits. I became a child star.”
“I am very close to my brother Ramesh Babu. When my father was away for shootings, my brother would take care of me, and I am very close to him, and yes, Dad’s always special.”
“Over the years, with all the experience, I’ve become more mature about the subjects I pick. I have a better understanding of what works at the box office. Once the story is finalised, I surrender to the director and follow him. After that, my performances speak for themselves.”
“The only thing I have learnt over the years is that if you enjoy your work and put in the best efforts, it will show. If you follow this process, things work out. But if you go chasing a formula, success will elude you.”
“I don’t have any dream role. I give my 100% to every character I play, and when the film clicks, it automatically becomes a dream role.”
“I always believe that one can’t interfere in another’s work. Once I start work on any film, I surrender myself completely and blindly follow the director.”
“When I work on a movie, I never aim for records, collections or the number one position. I always concentrate on my work and look for ways to improve my acting abilities. I also advise my co-stars not to concentrate on these pretty issues and just focus on acting.”
“Fortunately or not, expectations are always high for all my films.”
“I try to do as much as I can, but I simply can’t shoot two films at a time.”
“Even after marriage, our home is important for us.”
“We don’t give importance to Page 3 or to appear at all the events. Our focus is on our kids and our home.”
“I prefer to believe it’s my responsibility if a film of mine works or doesn’t work.”
“’Srimanthudu’ is a film very close to my heart. It’s my first production, and I’m more than happy with its performance at the box office.”
“We were five kids at home, and my mother and grandmother ensured that we all had a very grounded upbringing in Madras. Even in school, I never used to tell anyone that my dad was an actor.”
“I am a shy person, basically. I don’t think I can take my shirt off in front of so many people. I never thought about it. No one asked me to. But I don’t even know if people like it if they see me without a shirt all of a sudden. But let’s see, if a film demands it, I might just do it.”
“When I am not working, I am home. I love spending time at my house.”
“I don’t go out of the way to take special care of myself.”
“I’m not a party person.”
“I was born and brought up in Chennai, as the entire Telugu film industry was based there.”
“Since my father was a superstar, without me knowing it, I became a child star, as my father’s entire fan base liked me, and I can’t thank my father enough for this, as it was so effortless.”
“My father is an amazing person.”
“I love holidaying with the kids after working hard, it is amazing.”
“When I am shooting a film, and it has a big schedule, I make sure that I take a week off with the family. It gives you new energy.”
“True, I was born and raised in Chennai, fluent in Tamil, but essentially, I am a Telugu guy and a Telugu actor.”
“For a Tamil debut, I wanted to make sure the script is the right one. We are hopeful ‘Bramhotsavam’ will be that film.”
“I’m very happy to co-produce a film like ‘Srimanthudu.’”
“You have to be a little commercial, and that’s what I learnt over the years.”
“C Kalyan has been amazing and totally committed as a producer.”
“First and foremost, I look for a great script. Then, the team that I am working with. Only then, we will be able to come up with a good film.”
“You see, at 25, I was very new to my craft. I was raw as an actor; my exposure was limited… No matter what field you are in, experience adds to your personality.”
“I’m extremely particular how my look should be in a film.”
“I work out every day – and my daily routine is a mix of functional and strength training.”
“Yes, ‘Aagadu’ was a failure. I was dejected for a couple of months, since there was a lot at stake.”
“Gautham was a premature baby. I remember when doctors said that his health condition was critical, I was tense. I could afford the treatment, but a lot of commoners can’t. I believe more children’s lives can be saved if we work towards it.”
“Whatever my father did were great films. I don’t want to remake any of them.”
“If the home is good, all will be good.”
“’Srimanthudu’ was very important for me and my career at that time, so I was tensed. But for ‘Brahmotsavam,’ honestly speaking, I am more excited because of its content. I have attempted something new, and I am keen to see how the audience receives it.”
“I believe in content, and I go accordingly.”
“I believe children’s blessings are very powerful.”
“I don’t remake any movie, whether old or of other language.”
“I would like the thrill of making a new project every time.”
“I am strictly against remaking a movie.”
“I have been very pleased at the response we have got for ‘SVSC.’”
“I grew up in Madras and did my schooling at St. Bedes and college at Loyola.”
“’Selvandhan’ is my first dubbed venture, which will release simultaneously with the original. It is a family drama. It has familiar Tamil faces, and I hope it does well.”
“Initially, when I joined Twitter, I was active. But, later, I felt that whatever I was tweeting or saying on a social platform turned out to be a little boring.”
“A lot of things and a lot of money is involved in a movie. It is very upsetting when a movie doesn’t fare well at the box-office.”
“I can only hope that my future movies will do well.”
“I try to make my fans happy by working hard in every film of mine, and I give my films everything I’ve got.”
“Over the years, I have worked very hard to achieve what I have so far. But I’ve not been alone in this journey. A lot of the credit for this goes to my fans – it’s because of them that I’m here today.”
“I really don’t know the secret to it, but I’d like to think my desirability is a combination of my personality, my image, and, most importantly, the kind of films I do.”
“I’m a big fan of my father.”
“A hit film is what we work for as actors, as that goes to show that we have managed to entertain our audiences who shower us with their love and affection throughout the years.”
“It’s healthy to have two or three weeks’ gap between big releases.”
“I am neither going to Bollywood nor joining politics.”
“Everybody has been saying ‘Srimanthudu’ is the best film of my career. After watching the film, Dad told me that he’s never seen me perform like this. I just couldn’t stop myself from crying.”
“Telugu audiences love cinema. They won’t let a good film down, and they’ve proved this with the way they accepted ‘Srimanthudu.’”
“My son Gautham usually doesn’t watch my films. But he watched ‘Srimanthudu’ in the theatre.”
“When I started as a child actor, my father didn’t tell me anything.”
“I like to reinvent with each project, in any which way possible.”
“It’s better to do a film that works.”
“I try to work on a film that my audiences would appreciate and enjoy their time in a theatre.”
“I’m under pressure with all my films. And the reason we are always under pressure is because it’s only in our profession that months and even years of hard work is judged by the first show on Friday.”
“Pressure is part and parcel of our career.”
“Over the years, I’ve learnt from co-actors, directors, technicians, and even from junior artists.”
“With every film, the pressure is on the rise for the next.”
“My father usually does not talk to me about my films, and it was a pleasant moment when he appreciated me the first time.”
“Who cares and remembers if my last film was a success? I need to work harder.”
“My director is usually aware of what works for me and what doesn’t. For ‘Srimanthudu,’ I have to give full credit to director Koratala Sivagaru for handling my character the way he did.”
“On the clothes front, I have a designer who sits with the director for each film to chalk out a look for me based on the script.”
“Whenever I deliver a hit, I can see a glow on my father’s face. Sometimes, I think he turns 10 to 15 years younger when I deliver a hit.”
“Men who are not loyal to their wives are foolish.”
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