Which was your last film in Telugu?
My last film in Telugu was A Aa E Ee with Srikanth after which I was busy working in other languages. Not that I didn't want to do Telugu films, but the subjects that came my way were not interesting. I have worked in Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, Telugu and God willing, I will soon sign a Marathi project.
What is your criteria for signing a film?
I don't mind working with new directors and actors but I want to make sure that the producer has a sound background, should be able to release and promote the film well. In the recent past, I signed films of new producers out of enthusiasm but it proved to be risky. Next comes the director; one should find out his background and who he has worked with. I don't keep track of all the technicians; only when I sign a film I make an attempt to find out the credentials.
What are your memorable movies?
Jayam, Anniyan (Aparachitudu), Monalisa, Unnale Unnale (Neevalle Neevalle) and a few more. Those days were different. These films came my way and I really didn't think much, but I had my share of mistakes. I never had a godfather. I come from a family that is not connected to movies. It was quite tough sometimes. If I had looked for advice from people in the industry, I wasn't sure if what they were giving me was right. I've been misguided too.
Do you have any regrets?
Not at all. I haven't done any films that I should be embarrassed about. All my movies were decent. Now I've people coming to me with some interesting projects this year. My first film in Telugu was in 2002.