I’m what I’m because of Rey: Sai Dharam

The actor on ‘Thikka,’ not emulating Chiranjeevi and Pawan Kalyan, multi-starrer with Kalyranram and his biggest critics

With his last two films ‘Subramanyam For Sale’ and ‘Supreme’setting the box-office coffers ringing, thereby cementing his place as a bankable hero in the industry, Sai Dharam Tej couldn’t have asked for more. But he is not ready to rest on his laurels yet. “Yes, the career is going good but I cannot sit back and relax. I want to do more good films.

I never thought of success and failure when I entered the industry, as I know they are a part of the game. Also, it was not like I wanted to succeed all the time,” he explains, “It took me a lot of time to get out of ‘Rey’s dismal show. But it’s fine as I’ve learnt something from it. I’m what I’m because of ‘Rey.’”

The suave actor is presently looking forward to the release of ‘Thikka,’ directed by cinematographer-turned-director Suneel Reddy. As much as he is confident about the film’s box-office prospects, he is restless too. “It is in complete contrast to what I’ve done earlier,” he points out, adding that though it has all the trappings of a masala entertainer it is set in a realistic space. “It transpires in a day and is a sequence of events of a guy who breaks-up with his girl (played by Larissa Bonesi). Throughout the first half I’ll be under the influence of alcohol.”

So, he must have prepped up for the part? Sai informs that this is the first time he’s playing a full-length drunkard, though he had a sequence involving drinks in ‘Subramanyam For Sale. “The role pushed me as an actor and I took the help of Thagubothu Ramesh to get my act right. I’ve also watched Chiranjeevi and Pawan Kalyan’s drunken acts and ensured that I didn’t emulate them. You know a section calls me a copy star, so I was keen not to live up to the name,” he smiles.

The film’s soundtrack has been declared a hit and Sai points out that he didn’t ask Dhanush and Simbu to croon for the film. “It was composer SS Thaman’s idea. The moment he approached Dhanush and Simbu, they said yes pronto. The tunes did the trick,” he maintains.

Sai agreed to star in ‘Thikka’ during ‘Pilla Nuvvu Leni Jeevitham’ itself but as the former was delayed, he went on to complete ‘Subramanyam For Sale’ and ‘Supreme.’ Given the craze and the market that he enjoys today, was ‘Thikka’s script tampered with? “Except for increasing the humour quotient, the script is the same as it was narrated to me first,” he asserts.

Sai recently sprung a surprise by agreeing to do a key supporting role in Krishna Vamsi’s in-progress ‘Nakshatram.’ Turns out, he said yes to the project even without knowing his part. “It’s a dream come true to work with Krishna Vamsi. I’ve been an ardent follower of his work and we go a long way. He just told me that he had a 20-minute role in the film and whether would I like to do it.

I said yes without any second thoughts,” he recalls fondly, further revealing that he will start shooting for it before he begins Gopichand Mailneni’s actioner. “I’ll go to the sets with an open mind because I know I’m in the safe hands of Krishna Vamsi.” While he admits to be in talks with Gautham Vasudev Menon for a trilingual, he says the script work of his multi-starrer with Kalyanram is going on. “I will not green-lit it until the story is finalised.”

On a different note, Sai insists that his mother and younger brother Vaishnav, who is doing his masters, are his biggest critics. “They literally rip apart my work. My mother, especially, is like, ‘Naaku nachindra, naaku nachaledhra… Endhuku chesavraa ee cinema (I liked it, I didn’t… Why the hell you did the film?).’ To that I’m like, ‘Ok maa… stop it.’ But she won’t. Basically she wants me to deliver my best,” he ends, smiling.