I am not as talented as Aamir Khan: Chiru

Naga Babu was hurt by Ram Gopal Varma’s tweets and expressed his anguish at the venue. He was impulsive and I don’t see any wrong in it
The Megastar on his comeback film, getting back into shape under the supervision of son Charan, politics and more

After deciding to make his comeback into films sometime back in 2015, Chiranjeevi, once the undisputed king of Tollywood, had listened to many commercial scripts. While he found some good, he was keen on a commercial script with an underlying social message a la his 2003 hit ‘Tagore’.

The search, after an eon, finally ended with 2014 Tamil monster hit ‘Kaththi’ as it dealt with farmer’s issues besides providing him an opportunity to play dual roles. “While one role had the elements that my fans would look forward to, the other had the scope to perform. It was a nice balance,” Chiru begins, adding that film’s director VV Vinayak had tailored some episodes of the original to suit his body language and image.

“We have also introduced some new characters like Brahmanandam and Raghu Babu to enhance the comedy quotient. Narration-wise too, we have increased the pace as ‘Kaththi’ was slow at places.” ‘Khaidi No 150’ is scheduled to open on a mammoth note this Wednesday.

Having seen it all in the field of cinema from re-writing new box-office records on a frequent basis to once being written off in mid ‘90s does he still get heebie-jeebies before a film of his opens? “‘Khaidi No 150’ is a proven content.

The songs have become chartbusters. I am extremely confident about the product. Though I’m not nervous, I’m curious,” he shrugs, admitting that he had his own doubts of how he would look screen since it’s been long since he donned the grease paint.

“But internally I had this zeal to get back and the kind of support I got from outside– be it from my family, fans or well-wishers like Amitabh Bachchan and Rajinikanth, I was like, ‘Yes, I can do it’. Also, I have never felt the gap of being away from arc lights.”

At 61 now, he still looks strapping like any of his young contemporaries, but admits to have neglected his health after entering into politics. “But once I locked on ‘Kaththi’ remake, Ram Charan took the mantle of transforming me physically. From monitoring my diet to how I should train in gym, he took care of everything,” he smiles fondly.

‘Khaidi No 150’ story revolves around the dual roles played by Chiranjeevi and focuses on the issue of farmers committing suicide due to corporate encroachment. He promises that the film would change the perception that urban people have about farmers. “It would be an eye-opener to them.

We have quoted the real numbers as far as farmer’s deaths due to corporate encroachments are concerned,” he reveals, ruling out any political touch to the film.

A promotional event of the film was recently held in Guntur, where his younger brother Naga Babu lashed out at filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma for his negative remarks against ‘Khaidi No 150’ on Twitter.

Commenting on it, Chiru notes, “He was hurt by Ram Gopal Varma’s tweets and expressed his anguish at the venue. I don’t get hurt by such (Varma’s) comments as I don’t give attention to negativity in the first place. Naga Babu was impulsive and I don’t see any wrong in it.”

Naga Babu has used words like akkupakshi (someone who goes on talking) and murkudu (ignorant) during the event. Does Chiru endorse his brother’s language? “I just noticed the emotion in it, not the kind of words he used.”

But does he and Varma share bad blood? Amused at the query, he adds, “No, not at all. He is a great human being and whenever he met me, he has been cordial. As a matter of fact, I don’t have issues with anyone in the industry.”

Moving forward, Chiranjeevi has no problems doing away from formula films and playing roles that suit his age. “If I get an opportunity to play my age like what Venky is playing in ‘Guru,’ I am game. I am sure it would be a challenging role to pull off.”

Is he ready to play what Aamir Khan played in ‘PK’? “Except for the first sequence, where he’s naked, I’m ready to do a film like ‘PK,’” he jokes. “Only Aamir can pull off such roles. He is versatile and can convince you with whatever he plays. I don’t think I have the talent that Aamir possesses. I have certain limitations and I have to improvise within them.”

Next up, while he would immediately shift attention to host the fresh season of ‘Meelo Evaru Koteeswarudu,’ he says he’d have one more release this year. “While Paruchuri Brothers are working on Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy script, Surender Reddy has approached me with a unique script. A film with Boyapati Sreenu, under Geetha Arts, would be my 152nd,” he lets his plans out; clearly hinting that films have taken precedence for him, until at least 2018.

Does that mean that he’d be away from politics? “There is a political vacuum presently. There’s no clear agenda to perform, so I want to focus on movies,” the abhineta-turned-neta replies, refuting rumours that he is moving away from Congress. “I am with Congress.”

Speaking about politics, what does he have to say about his brother Pawan Kalyan’s brand of aggressive politics? “It’s his style and I hope some good things happen with his efforts. I wish him all the best,” he keeps it brief.

Ever since he left the industry in 2007, the mega family has become bigger with new entrants like Sai Dharam Tej, Varun Tej and Niharika too winning audience appreciation. He considers them as his achievements. “If you ask what I have achieved in the industry, I’d say them.

I am proud of them,” he asserts with a twinkle in his eyes, admitting that he also ensures that they don’t take success to their head. “I don’t let them take their fame for granted as I keep tabs on them. And they too are aware that I am watching them.”