Natural star Nani: Watching Sridevi ma’am in ‘Kshana Kshanam’ still feels unreal, I’ve always been her fan – Exclusive – Times of India

Natural star Nani is on a promotional spree these days as his much-awaited film ‘Dasara‘ starring Keerthy Suresh and Dheekshith Shetty is all set to release on March 30. Nani, in an exclusive conversation with ETimes opened up about the prospects of his much-awaited Telugu film. Nani also reveals which legendary actress could be his ideal date. Not just that, the superstar also tells us about those rumours that give him sleepless nights. Read on…
Is your look in ‘Dasara’ inspired by Allu Arjun’s character from ‘Pushpa’ and is the backdrop of the film influenced by ‘KGF’? People have been speculating about these things ever since the first look of your film came out.
The film has a coal mine backdrop and is done with a very realistic space and one will also have the adrenaline of a larger-than-life film, which will be a great combination, which is not like the films that are mentioned. ‘Dasara’ is a very different film. We are happy that ‘Dasara’ is getting compared with some blockbuster films like ‘Pushpa’ and ‘KGF’ and we are very happy with that but on the contrary, ‘Dasara’ is very different from both films. The avatar and the backdrop are very different from the movies mentioned. From the poster or the trailer, the audience might be thinking that but it’s actually not real which they will realise on March 30. For now, let people think that they will get the best of both worlds and come to the theatre but we are going to present them with a completely new world on the release date.

What does ‘Dasara’ have to offer to the audience?
It is the victory of good or evil. ‘Dasara’ as a festival has a very strong emotion. It is also like announcing a war against evil.
Can you reveal something about the Hanuman locket that your character Dharani is wearing in the film?
My character Dharani, when not drunk, is not fierce and is a little scared. The town where he stays is not safe and there are dangers all around. He believes that the locket kind of protects him from evil.

What is the relevance of Silk Smita on the film’s poster?
There is a bar in the hub of the village and that bar is called the Silk bar because there is a nice painting of Silk Smitha ma’am on it. That is how it is. But what is the importance of that bar and why that bar is called Silk Bar will be revealed in the film.

What changes have you seen in Keerthy as an actress since ‘Dasara’ is your second collaboration with her?
She has evolved as an actress. She was already an amazing actor when I worked with her in our first film and now I think, her maturity and understanding of the roles have grown even more. She performs with a lot of sensibility. She has definitely risen to another level.

One character you wish you could play again.
I don’t wish to play any of my previous characters again. Once I play a character, then I wish to portray something else. I don’t want to repeat myself.

Your ‘Eega’ director SS Rajamouli brought the Oscars to India, did you call to congratulate the team?
No, I didn’t call him. The whole world must be calling him. I don’t believe in that as they would have not bothered with the calls. So I don’t want to add to their calls. Sometime, we will meet. I will convey my wishes personally. In fact, I wished him online and he said everything is fine.

What career would you have chosen if not acting?
If I was not an actor, I would have been a director.

Which Indian directors do you wish to work with in the future?
I would definitely want to work with Rajkumar Hirani in Bollywood and Mani Ratnam sir in the South.

Your dream date?
My dream date would definitely be Sridevi ma’am, but unfortunately, she is not alive today. Growing up, I was a huge fan of Sridevi. I am a big fan of hers even today. Watching her in the film, ‘Kshana Kshanam’ in Telugu still feels unreal to me, even today.

What does your wife Anjana say about your films and characters?
My wife hasn’t said any bad things about my acting to me. Maybe she wants to, but she hasn’t said it to me yet. After every release when she goes back home, she sends me a very long message about what she thought about the film. So far, she has only said good things. Nothing negative from her side about the performances. But, sometimes, she does acknowledge that she doesn’t really get my films. She says that she can’t comment on the film because she didn’t connect with the film.

A role you wish would have been played by you.
I really don’t wish for any role. Suriya sir did one film ‘Jai Bhim’ and I love the fact that he did that film. I wish even I had got that kind of script. It is so inspiring to see a film like that.

Tell us a rumour that gave you sleepless nights.
There’s nothing in particular. But, now when I am promoting the film non-stop, at times I start searching news and stories on Google and suddenly, I’ll come across interviews or articles where I have been misquoted or my words have been taken out of context. These instances kind of stress me out. But then again, I just move on and keep promoting the film.