I want to do off-beat roles, says Udayshankar

Aren’t you taking a chance by debuting with an off-beat role in ‘Aatagadhara Shiva’?

Frankly, I always wanted to begin my career with a hatke role,away from the regular hero-centric movies.I strongly believe that script isthe USP of a film and chose to begin with this novel plot. After discontinuing my BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) course in third year in Bangalore, I returned to Hyderabad. With the blessings and support of my father and retired English lecturer-turned-spiritual writer Sriram, I began to try for roles.

Are you spiritually inclined and do you regret waiting for eight years to realise your dream?

No way. My father is a great man and he is a good motivational speaker. He even advised me to follow my dreams with honesty and commitment for a rocking career. I have no regrets, even though it took eight years to get my first break with ‘Aatagadhara Shiva’.

All along, I was listening to the scripts, but nothing was exciting enough. When producer Rockline Venkatesh suggested the remake of Kannada hit film ‘Rama Rama Re’, I felt it was right beginning. In fact, I want to do off-beat roles if it is an exciting script, than doing stereotyped roles. My role of a fugitive is a multi-layered one and bound to be noticed.

How was it working with director Chandra Siddharth?

He is one of the finest directors and a cool customer on the sets. He put me at ease and asked me to be natural and realistic. Hence, I could give my best despite being a complex role. Similarly, thanks to producer Rockline Venkatesh for giving me the much-needed break in T-town.

We heard that you are a Telangana-born actor like Nithiin and Vijay Devarakonda?

That’s true. I admire both the actors for their talent and popularity. I was born in Mahbubnagar and later studied in many places before joining BDS in Bangalore. As I was unable to focus on my studies, I returned to Hyderabad and told my father that I wanted to be an actor. He asked to pursue my dream. Later, I honed my acting skills in various acting workshops.

Now that you are making your T-town debut, have you realised that Telugu cinema is mostly star-centric?

Of course, I am a big Telugu film movie buff and enjoyed watching most hero-centric films of big stars. However, I want to chalk my own path by exploring varied roles, since I want to do content-driven films. With audience patronising movies like ‘Mahanati’, I think I have arrived at the right time.