Big and small films are a myth, says Naga Chaitanya

Reigning star Naga Chaitanya claims that there is no difference between big and small films these days. “Small films are making waves, while the so-called big films are sinking, so, there is no difference as such. It is just a myth and it is the audience who determine whether a film is big or small, post-release,” he reasons. The actor claims that he takes every actor in the film industry as his rival and not just one particular star. “Actually, I am competing with every actor in the industry and not just one or two stars. However, there is a healthy competition in the industry,” he points out. The scion of Akkineni family tried out comedy in his latest offering ‘Shailaja Reddy Alludu’. “I have portrayed both serious and emotional, so, it was quite refreshing to try out a light-hearted role,’’.

The ‘Manam’ star claims that he was in awe of his co-star Ramya Krishna. “I was intimidated even before I started working with her as everything that she has done so far has been spectacular. She has been one of my favourite actresses. Initially, it was really difficult for me to match up to her, but as the time went by, we struck a chord” he adds.

He says that a love story provides all the ingredients of conflict and drama and admits that over the years while romance has been his forte. “Love stories always keep me going. They kind of suit my body language, but I’ve realised the need to work in diverse genres. In fact, I was witnessing a radical change in movie making and enjoyed watching ‘Arjun Reddy’ and ‘RX 100’. But what I intend to do now is commercial entertainers. I always want to do good films but I feel I still have some time to go after such intense roles,” he explains.

The doting husband has a word of praise for Samantha and adds, ‘I’m not competing with Samantha. I agree that they have finalised the release date first and ours is the last-minute call. As both the films are from different genres, I want them to do well at the box office.” On working with newcomers, he informs “I love to encourage new talent but right now, I prefer to work with established directors,” he concludes-