Saindhav, the Telugu action entertainer releasing on January 13, is actor Venkatesh Daggubati’s 75th film. While promoting the film, director Sailesh Kolanu had stated that when he watched films such as The Equalizer and Taken, he had wondered about the possibility of senior Telugu actors collaborating with young directors for action films in a slightly realistic zone and that Saindhav is one such attempt.
During this interview with The Hindu, Venkatesh affirms that he, too, had been on the lookout for such films. “Over the years when I watched Bruce Willis films or films such as The Equaliser and Taken, I wanted to move gracefully into that zone and be a part of films driven by story and screenplay with scope for breezy action. In this phase of my career, having been part of cinema for 37 years, I am happy Saindhav came my way. I have never planned and my approach has been to take things as they come.”
In the film, Venkatesh plays Saindhav Kolanu or SaiKo who dotes on his wife (Shraddha Srinath) and daughter (Ssara Palekar) and locks horns with Nawazuddin Siddiqui to save his daughter from a health crisis. Venkatesh was aware of Sailesh’s earlier films, HIT and HIT 2, and knew that he had the potential to narrate a good story on a large canvas. When producer Venkat Boyanapalli approached him and said that Sailesh had an interesting story, Saindhav began to take shape.
Jamming with Sailesh
Venkatesh recalls how he instantly hit it off with Sailesh, “He is much younger to me but we hit it off like college friends. The boy has so much energy and he is enthusiastic. He wanted to present me in a new-age action drama that is sleek. Nothing goes overboard; we don’t have a conventional introduction action sequence, cars being blasted or 100 people being flung into the air. Nothing is wrong with that approach and the audience still enjoys it if presented well, but I am happy to move into a realistic zone.” Developing the character of SaiKo, says Venkatesh, was like a jamming session between him and Sailesh.
The last time Venkatesh did some serious action was in Narappa. Looking back, he says he was glad to work on the hard-hitting adaptation of Asuran and it was unfortunate that it had to be released directly on a digital platform owing to the pandemic. Stepping up the action quotient in Saindhav was a test for the 63-year-old actor. “I surprised myself and everyone on the sets by pulling it off,” he says with a hearty laugh. “I was energetic and agile. I would rate the climax portion in Saindhav among the best in my career. It is high on emotions and we filmed for 15 nights. It was challenging as an actor. This may not be the biggest film, but in terms of what was required, I think we cracked it. Everyone in the team, including cinematographer Manikandan and music composer Santhosh Narayanan, were driven to contribute to the film.”
Talking about his approach towards health and fitness, the actor says the key is to be consistent with workouts and focus on strengthening legs and the back. “These two areas weaken with age, so you cannot neglect them.”
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Reflections and reinventions
Venkatesh states that he was fortunate to be a part of films in varied genres at different stages of his career. “I did not plan Nuvvu Naaku Nachav, Drushyam or for that matter many noteworthy films. I wanted to do good work and was aware that cinema is also a business. There have been bad films as well. But, somehow, I have managed to get going and people have loved me.”
While working with director Sudha Kongara for Guru, Venkatesh had stated to this writer that she had helped him reinvent himself and go beyond repetitive expressions. To an extent, he says, Saindhav also helped him emote differently. “The setting is different and I could be my natural self rather than try exaggerated emotions. That made a difference, I think. There is a change in my body language in some portions.”
Venkatesh debuted in Telugu cinema as a child actor in Prema Nagar (1971) and as a leading man in Kaliyuga Pandavulu (1986), armed with an MBA from the US. It had taken him some time to adapt to the requirements of Telugu cinema of the 80s. When asked when he felt he had found his groove, Venkatesh pauses to think and says, “I think it was during Swarnakamalam (1988) and a few scenes in Prema (1989). Directors then realised that it is best to leave me in a natural zone and it worked for me.”
His approach towards acting has been spontaneous and even when he rehearsed, he discovered that he was unable to repeat a sequence more than twice or thrice. “Some actors are fantastic at being able to go for almost 10 takes; I cannot. Especially in comedy, I have no idea what I end up doing. I do something and when a director says he loved it but wants me to repeat it, I cannot. I would get conscious.”
Life is beautiful
In the 1980s and 90s, it was normal for actors to work on four or five films a year. Venkatesh, too, had begun thus and eventually took it slow, averaging two films a year. He terms it a natural progression as he wanted time for his spiritual leanings, family commitments, travel or just to experience life. “Sometimes it was also because I did not get the right scripts. In the end, the numbers do not matter. I like to live life and life is beautiful when you do not plan too much.”
Most of his films have been in Telugu, barring an occasional Anari or Taqdeerwala in Hindi. His recent appearance in Kisi ka Bhai Kisi ki Jaan was purely for his friend, Salman Khan. “Telugu films kept me busy and time just flew,” says Venkatesh. “Occasionally when I would watch an out-of-the-box film in another language, that desire would come up. But I was earning well and content with what I was doing.”
Rana Naidu experience
His web series debut through Rana Naidu last year evoked a mixed response, with ardent fans vehemently stating on social media that they could not accept their hero, known for his family friendly films, mouthing expletives. However, Rana Naidu emerged as the sole Indian title in Netflix’s top 400 viewed shows worldwide. “The reactions to Rana Naidu taught me that people are smarter and quick to move on, though many of them were shocked at first. When I attend cricket matches in the north, people refer to me as Rana Naidu. I understand that some of the content was graphic and went overboard; perhaps season two will be toned down. I do not encourage violence but how do we turn moral police and decide what is right and wrong? I have come across violent video games played by kids. So where do we draw the line?”
Plans are on for season two of Rana Naidu and Venkatesh is glad that directors are approaching him with varied scripts for theatrical feature films and digital series. “I have no complaints. In all these years, I have not gotten into anything unpleasant with my fans, the media or the audience; It means a lot to me to maintain this healthy equation. I am happy to have been part of Telugu cinema for more than three decades and I am proud of the strides in the industry of late.”
