Everyone in the Telugu film industry knows Sree Vishnu is shy and reserved. He made his debut by doing small yet meaningful roles and slowly climbed the ladder till you saw him shine as the protagonist in Sagar Chandra’s Appatlo Okkadundevadu last year. In a chat over the phone, he says there is no short cut to success and to get noticed in the industry, patience is the only mantra. Around three of his films are ready for release, Unnadi Okkate Zindagi, Mental Madhilo and Needhi Nadhi Oke Katha .
In Unnadi Okkate Zindagi, he shares good space with Ram Pothineni. The film is directed by Kishore Tirumala of Nenu Shailaja fame. It is set to release on October 27. He says “I am in a trance, the role given to me is very good and the production house has been very hospitable. I have high regard for the director.”
In a freewheeling chat, he says, “ Prema Ishq Kaadhal and Pratinidhi were critically acclaimed and got me recognition but no one came to me with offers after they released. I also did small roles in films from big banners; their reach was good and I benefited. When it came to doing a solo role, I didn’t get good scripts. I decided to wait and not throw away the good work I had done and accumulated so far. Needhi Naadhi ....is one of them and one more will take off soon. Routine stories don’t excite me any more, doing the same thing again and again kills the actor in you. Even if I do a small role in any film, I take great care to see that it is never the same.”
Sree Vishnu gets a routine film every other day to play the lead but he says he just can’t risk it. Many producers who have the money, but no experience come to him and talk about the project with zeal but face problems during release time. If there is no good distributor to back it, the audience will not know about it. Ma Abbayi is one such film.
All the offers he has got so far were from friends who have worked with him earlier or through their contacts. Often their first film with Sree Vishnu gets moderate success, but the second one fails, slowing the director’s run in the industry. He cites a few examples, “Kishore Tirumala offered Second Hand and Unnadi Okkate Zindagi . The director delivered a hit Nenu Sailaja in between but Pavan Sadineni who did Prema Ishq Kaadhal , made Savitri next and its disaster left him without substantial big work.”
He adds “My next is Mental Madhilo produced by Pelli Choopulu team and is distributed by Suresh Babu.
We are struggling to get theatres for release, so getting support from such distributors is a big thing.” Directed by newcomer Vivek Athreya, Mental Madhilo deals with the confusion that arises when the hero is offered two or more options. After his engagement he wonders if it is a good or bad relation that he has got into.” Nivetha Pethuraj is the heroine.
Needhi Nadhi Oke Katha that is gearing up for release in December is made with Dogme 95 technique that avoids the use of expensive special effects and post production modifications, is meant to reduce the production cost of the film. is about the growing confrontation between a father and son in which the former plays a professor. Sree Vishnu elaborates, “Eighty percent of the society has people living by rules and mores, they live for the society. This character says it is important to be happy and live for ourselves and not the society….for example all those who study engineering mostly do it out of parental pressure though they have other creative pursuit.”
Next, Sree Vishnu plays the title role in Veerabhoga Vasantha Rayalu directed by Indrasena.and Nara Rohit, Sudheer Babu and Shriya are a part of three parallel sub-plots. Apparently in Brahmamgari Charitra, the prophecy ends with a dictum that when humanity goes for a toss, God appears in the form of Veerabhoga Vasanta Rayulu to save them.
