The ‘Ladies man’ look that he usually wears has been toned down. In a more rugged and de-glam manner, Kartikeya tries out something different in Chavu Kaburu Challaga. As the movie hits the theatres today, the actor caught up with the media on Thursday discussing his venture with a debutant and how much self-check went into making the product look better… The actor was amazed at the storytelling abilities of Kaushik Pegallapati, a first-timer, who directed a couple of short-films before taking a dig. Already cautious, Kartikeya has been playing the cards close to his chest. With the dismal show of his last three outings have put up — Hippi, Guna 369, and 90 ML, self-checking, introspecting as to what went wrong, the actor says.
“It might have been annoying to anyone who experienced the same situation. During this time, I got a call from Geeta Arts. I heard from Kaushik, who seemed to me like a young college-going student. I was amazed by his philosophical understanding of life. I had been waiting for a director like Kaushik all these days,” says Kartikeya while maintaining that victory or defeat at the box office is again not in his hands.
Massy character
The character Basti Balaraju has a massy touch to him. A man who works at a graveyard spends most of his time with the mortal remains of people. “He is someone who doesn’t see life the way we look at it. He doesn’t see death the way we look at it. He doesn’t feel love the way we perceive it. And when he stumbles upon a woman who just lost her husband, Balaraju takes a rebirth, loses himself and pursues her, which is often dubbed as weird by the outside world,” he adds.
Choosing scripts could have been better, says Kartikeya. With none to discuss the scripts he has been dealing with in the industry, the actor would often resort to his friends’ advice before okaying a project. “Sometimes just a point could trigger so much excitement in you. We would just feel the 20-minute premise was so tempting. And the feeling of collaborating with a combination of actors couldn’t make you sleep. Now, listening to the entire script and assessing the technicians’ ability and other factors is what I am concerned with. So with all that knowledge, if you ask would I be flawless at the box office without a defeat… my answer is ‘No’. There perhaps might be another lesson in store,” he says.
A fanboy moment
Kartikeya recalls when he watched Lavanya Tripathi starrer Andala Rakshasi along with his friends. Cut to nine years later, it was a mixture of unexplainable joy working with her — it’s like a moment that lasts a lifetime, he says. The actor further explains the atmosphere working on the sets with the director and the entire cast added a great deal of quality to the final product. “I’m very touched by the way senior actor Aamani carried herself on the sets. She plays mother to Basti Balraju. Her submissiveness to the director’s vision is extraordinary. It was an enriching experience working with her,” he adds.
Kartikeya is working with Ajith in an upcoming Tamil movie, which is being directed by H Vinoth. “Regardless of making a Tamil debut, my association with star-like Ajith is a big blessing. Every minute is a learning experience, as a human being. Almost the entire shoot has been wrapped up. A three-day shoot in Spain is
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