Naga Chaitanya prefers to be addressed as Chaitanya Akkineni. “Name me Chaitanya. My dad is called Nag, and now folks have began to shorten my identify to that. It turns into a bit bizarre at occasions,” says the good-looking Actor, with a boyish allure and a smile, that may soften 1,000,000 hearts. He had walked in unannounced sans any entourage — there are not any PRs or managers hovering round — one thing you don’t normally affiliate with film stars in Bollywood, and don’t anticipate from the actors down South, given the sort of adulation and unfathomable stardom they take pleasure in. However possibly their mass attraction stems from this humility that Chay, as he’s fondly known as, exudes.  And it’s not every single day that you’ve got a star doubling up as a meals supply service. The actor had arrived with takeaways of delectable platters of sushi from his cloud restaurant, Shoyu for your entire staff. He positively is aware of how you can win hearts. 

The Akkineni-Daggubati household scion has simply made his Bollywood debut as Balaraju ‘Bala’ Bodi (apparently, Balaraju is an ode to his legendary grandfather, Akkineni Nageswara Rao’s 1948 movie by the identical identify that was the primary Telugu Silver Jubilee movie) in Laal Singh Chaddha, the official Hindi adaptation of Hollywood movie Forrest Gump.  His character, a chaddi-banyan fanatic who turns into instrumental in Laal beginning a males’s innerwear firm, was based mostly on the long-lasting Bubba Blue, Forrest’s shrimp-loving good friend who died within the Vietnam Battle. Though the lovable and charismatic actor, even together with his prosthetic-enhanced protruding jawline, reminded us of the younger Aamir, many had been shocked by his alternative for his Hindi debut. Whereas his fellow star Vijay Deverakonda made his Bollywood debut because the protagonist in Puri Jagannadh’s Liger, Chay opted for a relatively smaller position in what could be known as an out-and-out Aamir Khan film.  

“The second I bought the supply, I wished to do it. I’ve large respect for Aamir Khan sir. You develop up watching their works and utilizing them as reference factors, after which once you get a possibility to truly work with them, be with them in the identical body, all you need is to watch and study.  

Additionally, I jumped on the alternative as such characters show you how to showcase your performing potential. Just a few years into my journey as an actor, I actually began getting drawn to attention-grabbing characters, characters which might be uniquely etched, extra than simply taking part in the hero. When you find yourself taking part in the principle lead, there’s a framework and sure boundaries. However with characters like these, you’ll be able to actually be all out. Additionally, the viewers has a impartial outlook and their reactions are then simply on how you’re taking part in the character,” he says with quiet confidence.  

It was little doubt a dangerous transfer. However, Chaitanya is aware of the workings of the movie trade fairly nicely and is conscious that it’s not a spot the place you’ll be able to all the time play secure. The son of famous person Nagarjuna, who made his presence felt in Bollywood with movies like Shiva, Khuda Gawah, Prison, and Zakhm within the ’90s and extra just lately in Ayan Mukerji’s Brahmastra, Chay is a third-generation actor and Tollywood royalty. His lineage is linked to 2 of essentially the most distinguished movie households within the Telugu trade: his paternal grandfather, late actor, Akkineni Nageswara Rao based the Annapurna Studios in 1976, whereas his maternal grandfather, late producer, Daggubati Ramanaidu began Suresh Productions in 1964. His maternal uncle Venkatesh can also be a famous person and is all set to make a comeback in Bollywood after virtually 25 years with Salman Khan’s upcoming movie, Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan.  Chay is the primary cousin to Baahubali actor Rana Daggubati, who has additionally had his share of Bollywood movies. 

Nevertheless, he grew up far-off from the highlight. After his dad and mom’ divorce, he shifted to Chennai together with his mom, Lakshmi Daggubati. Though he was all the time near his dad and visited him usually, even on movie units, it was solely when he moved to Hyderabad for his commencement that he truly bought sucked into the world of showbiz.  

“There was no second of epiphany. After I was in school, I began hanging out on movie units and that’s after I started to grasp the method and took a liking to it. It was a gradual course of. My dad and mom had been elated, however mother was clear that I would like to complete my training first. Dad recommended that I be a part of an performing college and see how I really feel about it. So, I went for an performing workshop in Mumbai and actually favored it, and it was then that I knew that I actually wished to pursue this as a profession.” 

He stepped into the world of cinema in 2009 with Josh, and promptly picked up the Filmfare Award South for greatest male actor debut. “Coming from a movie household, it wasn’t too exhausting to land my first movie and I’m extraordinarily lucky and grateful,” he says, not shying away from acknowledging or accepting the privilege the Akkineni-Daggubati tags carry together with them. However it additionally means large stress “The lineage, my granddads, my dad, my uncles, cousins, all are from the trade and have made such an excellent mark for themselves. I’m right here as we speak due to them, and what they’ve created. It does appear scary to dwell as much as the expectations, however I feel I’m actually lucky to have all of the alternatives that I’ve due to them. Fortuitously, the stress half by no means performed in my thoughts. If it had, I won’t have gotten into this trade. I solely thought how a lot enjoyable it will be to be on a movie set every single day and work in motion pictures. It was solely after I bought into it that I really realized the stress; the expectations that come bundled with the household identify.” 

It’s mentioned that the Telugu movie trade continues to be largely run by just a few households with little or no outdoors expertise getting a possibility. Chaitanya disagrees. “I don’t suppose it’s completely a family-run enterprise. There are households which have been a part of this trade for generations, however there are additionally new skills coming in every single day. Whereas the family-run companies, with their years of expertise, have a means of working, there are recent concepts injected into this trade on a regular basis. It’s a nice synergy between the normal and the trendy that occurs right here,” he says. 

It was his second movie, Ye Maaya Chesave (2010), that gave him the critics’ nod aside, from incomes field workplace numbers.  He adopted it up with one other love story, 100% Love. However then the actor hit a tough patch. 2014 noticed three generations of Akkinenis: Nageshwara Rao, Nagarjuna, and Naga Chaitanya, come collectively for the interval drama Manam. The movie was launched submit the demise of ANR, and never solely grew to become a blockbuster however is as we speak thought-about among the many classics of Telugu cinema. 4 years later, he would slip into his late grandfather’s sneakers, albeit for a movie. The actor essayed the position of ANR in Mahanati, Nag Ashwin’s Savitri biopic. “They had been such iconic actors and a bit of the viewers has not solely grown up watching their works however these motion pictures have stayed with them. It was an enormous problem as an actor. I used to be a nervous wreck earlier than doing it. The truth is, initially, I didn’t even need to do it. I knew it was not possible to attempt to be him, even on display. However then one in every of my pals identified that if I don’t do it, another person will, and requested me if I might have the ability to dwell with the truth that another actor performed him. And my reply was a convincing no. That’s what made me take up the supply. I used to be given very particular references from his works based mostly on the canvas of the film and I attempted my greatest to do justice to it. I don’t know if I managed it although.” 

However it was his 2019 movie Majili that grew to become the highest-grossing movie of his decade-long profession. “Rather a lot modified within the decade between my debut and Majili. There have been some successes and there have been some failures, however yearly, with every movie, I’ve realized one thing new and tried to enhance. I feel I’ve modified with every movie; you come out in a different way from every venture. It’s essential to be dynamic to outlive on this trade. You must develop every single day, in any other case, you’ll stagnate as an actor, and that’s the finish of it. In the present day as I sit right here, I can confidently inform you that I’m having fun with my work greater than I ever did earlier than. I don’t see myself in another job,” says the actor. 

The identical yr, he additionally shared display area together with his uncle Venkatesh within the motion comedy, Venky Mama. The film was a blockbuster as nicely. “It’s fairly a problem to work with your loved ones members, however in a pleasant means. When the digicam switches on, they’re your co-actors; you’ll be able to’t have a look at them as your loved ones members. In any other case, the chemistry won’t work. It took me a while to get adjusted to the method. I might nonetheless have a look at dad as dad even when the digicam had began to roll. It took me a few schedules to heat as much as it. However each of them are such seasoned actors that the change comes virtually naturally; the digicam comes on and they’re the character and the second the digicam is off, they’re themselves. 

“There are two sides to the coin; should you handle to flip it to the facet that works for you, it could possibly create magic on display. As a result of you realize their course of and their timings so nicely, the top result’s one thing moderately stunning. You’ll be able to shed all of your inhibitions with them since you already know virtually the whole lot about one another,” says Chaitanya, whose second collaboration together with his father, Bangarraju, launched earlier this yr and bought the money registers ringing on the field workplace, beating the post-pandemic droop. His 2021 launch, Love Story, was additionally a business success. 

His final Telugu outing, Thank You, was launched this yr in July; it was his second collaboration together with his Manam director, Vikram Kumar. The actor-director duo is now engaged on Chay’s maiden internet sequence Dootha. “We’re nonetheless capturing it and will probably be on Amazon Prime Video someday early subsequent yr. It’s a horror thriller the place I’m taking part in a journalist, and there are gray shades. I’m once more experimenting with one thing new; it’s a texture that individuals have by no means seen me in.”  

However what took him this lengthy to enter the OTT area? “It was simply the script, nothing else. I bought enthusiastic about this one within the very first narration,” he quips. 

Ask him how the OTTs have reworked ‘cinema’ into ‘content material’ and if the film theatres can ever reclaim their misplaced glory, and he says: “I feel OTTs and the theatres will each have their very own place. It isn’t that individuals are not going to the theatres. However sure, it takes a superb movie to tug them to 1. Earlier than, folks would go to the theatres even to observe a median movie as a result of they might not need to miss it. In the present day, if a film will not be that nice, the audiences will wait and watch it when it drops on the OTT. The largest change is within the viewers. They don’t seem to be placing up with subpar motion pictures anymore. If it’s not recent content material, they’re rejecting it. With OTTs, the viewers now has entry to world cinema. So, they’re selecting one of the best of the lot. The accountability now could be to place out content material that may break the litter and interact the viewers. We have to maintain pushing the envelope and get higher and higher at what we’re doing.”  

He factors out that one of the best half concerning the OTTs is that numerous new filmmakers are getting alternatives to showcase their works and experiment past the trimmings of the field workplace. “Indian cinema is changing into really a nationwide cinema, the language boundaries are fading and with it the regional borders, and it’s the means ahead. As actors, filmmakers, and technicians, all of us crave most publicity. With OTTs, our works at the moment are reaching audiences internationally making a a lot wider alternative than ever earlier than. I’m very glad the place our cinema is headed as we speak,” he provides. 

And what are his plans for Bollywood? Is LSC only a one-off venture or is that this a brand new starting for him? “In fact, I want to do extra movies in Bollywood. I look as much as that trade. There are such a lot of filmmakers there that I need to collaborate with. I’m simply ready for one thing attention-grabbing to return my means. And never simply Hindi cinema, I might like to dabble in different languages as nicely. I like doing attention-grabbing characters and I like experimenting and taking part in with these. I’m open to all industries in terms of high quality work.” 

However what makes stars from the Telugu and Tamil industries draw back from Bollywood? Is the star energy they take pleasure in again dwelling pales compared to the Bollywood glitz? Is his era extra open to the Hindi movie trade? “I don’t suppose that we’ve got larger stars in our industries than Bollywood. We’re all simply doing our work. Sure, the adulation we get from the viewers could be a bit completely different,” he says, including that in accordance with him, there isn’t a such shift as such. “Even my dad did some nice motion pictures again within the day and now he’s doing Brahmastra. It was by no means a aware resolution to not work in Bollywood. It’s the similar with me as nicely. It’s all concerning the affords we get. We have to be excited by the affords. Having mentioned that, my household is Telugu, and we not solely join with the Telugu viewers, however they’ve additionally given our household a lot love and respect that we and even our future generations are indebted to them. So, they are going to all the time be my precedence.” 

In the present day, many are of the opinion that South cinema is dwarfing Bollywood and popping out on prime. What, in accordance with him, goes mistaken for the Hindi movie trade? “Nothing goes mistaken wherever. The viewers picks the content material they will relate to essentially the most. If there may be an emotional connection, they are going to make it win, be it in any language. Language will not be a barrier anymore; individuals are watching motion pictures with subtitles. I feel we simply have to churn out more energizing and extra relatable content material, be in any language. The makers have to make motion pictures that resonate with them first earlier than they will try to attach with the viewers. Mimicking a development will not be going to make the reduce, not for lengthy. We’ve got an unlimited number of feelings in addition to cultures, and there may be an viewers for each sort of cinema.” 

And what’s his tackle the newly-minted time period ‘pan-Indian actor’ being bestowed on a few of his fellow actors? “It’s only a new tag. Folks will ultimately keep in mind you for the work you may have executed. For me, greater than being known as a ‘pan-India actor’ I might like to be recognized by the identify of the character I performed within the final movie I did. That’s what I’m aiming for.” 

We wrap up the interview by asking him about his 5-year plan. “My to-do listing is to maintain performing and accomplish that in as many languages as doable. I simply need to be certain that what I’m placing out to the viewers is recent and thrilling, and that I’m taking on will not be just like my final venture,” the actor smiles. 

PERSONAL STYLE 

Describe your fashion in three phrases 

Easy, to-the-point, and cozy 

Three necessities you don’t step out with out? 

My espresso mug, my cellphone, and sneakers 

One factor one would all the time discover in your nightstand? 

Earplugs 

For those who needed to choose just one designer to put on for film premiers for the remainder of your life, which one would you choose? 

Prada 

What was the primary automotive you ever bought? 

Mitsubishi Lancer  

For those who had been to choose one fragrance to put on for the remainder of your life, what wouldn’t it be? 
Any woody perfume 

UP, CLOSE, AND PERSONAL WITH CHAY  

For those who might redo life, what would you modify? 
I might change my second language from Sanskrit to Telugu at school 

Inform us your one vice 

I don’t say bye whereas leaving a celebration (laughs) 

Present movie star crush? 

Jessica Chastain 

One courting recommendation you’d give your self? 

Be open to vary 

One relationship rule you may have realized out of your previous expertise? 

That relationships don’t have any guidelines 

One factor you need to steal from the next: 
Nani: His comedian timing 
Allu Arjun: His dance strikes 
Ram Charan: His fashion 
Junior NTR: His diction 
Vijay Deverakonda: His craziness 
Prabhas: His on-screen presence 

(All jewellery by Males of Platinum)