This mimicry artist can imitate voices of over 120 people

Hyderabad: His tryst with mimicry began when he was six years old when he witnessed his uncle imitating people at a function. Shiva Bhaviri hasn’t looked back since. Having performed more than 4,500 stage shows, the 37-year-old prodigy says he inherited the gift of voice from his family, a majority of whom are voice artistes. […]

Hyderabad: His tryst with mimicry began when he was six years old when he witnessed his uncle imitating people at a function. Shiva Bhaviri hasn’t looked back since. Having performed more than 4,500 stage shows, the 37-year-old prodigy says he inherited the gift of voice from his family, a majority of whom are voice artistes.

Shiva, who can imitate the voices of over 120 people, including celebrities and politicians such as Sr NTR, Krishna, Mahesh Babu, Vijay Devarakonda, KCR and many more, says that actor Sai Kumar’s voice is the first he ever learned all by himself. He also nails Nandamuri Balakrishna’s voice.

---

Hailing from a middle-class family in Krishna district, he studied MBA in Hyderabad and previously worked for a corporate firm. However, due to his passion for art, he quit the job and is full-time into mimicry and stage shows.

“I was fortunate to be born into a family that values and respects art and has always encouraged me to pursue a career in this field,” he said. “Although most of my relatives enjoy mimicking, only my uncle, Bharivi Ravi, and I have achieved recognition,” he further said.

He considers mimicry to be one of the most difficult art forms and practises it for an hour every day. “In mimicry, one must be constantly updated and understand where to draw the line. The artiste must be careful that the comedy does not turn offensive,” he says. Despite not having received any formal training, he credits his uncle, as well as renowned mimicry artiste, late Nerella Venu Madhav, for his inspiration.

Shiva is into eclectic art forms such as ventriloquism, singing, dubbing, anchoring, acting and more. He believes that art has no boundaries and enjoys entertaining people through various art forms. “I feel blessed when people say I remind them of their favourite actor. I enjoy entertaining people and would like to do so for the rest of my life,” he concludes.

Shiva previously appeared in a few serials and films. Primarily focused on stage shows, he is looking for acting roles again to broaden his horizons. He already signed a couple of projects and is looking for more opportunities.