Suresh, the tall, handsome hero of the Eighties is back as a character artiste in Telugu cinema. He plays a cardiologist with panache in Rushi directed by a newcomer and is also working in Kalyan Ram's 3D action film apart from the about to be released Face Book by R.P. Patnaik and a Tamil-Telugu bi-lingual. The actor says he never banked or has been judged by his looks. He just believed in giving his best. He now wants to do roles that would turn out to be negative or positive in the end and has no qualms about working with newcomers.
But one wonders why he distanced himself from Telugu movies all of a sudden? He says, “Working with inefficient producers, I had a feeling that those films wouldn't get a proper exposure and release. It became a family-dominated industry. Tell me one hero who is not from a film family? I couldn't sustain myself as a hero here, which is why I took a break and got into television production. It was here that I learnt the art of producing and directing. Also I had a back problem because during all those years I would do stunts without protective gear. After a surgery I took time to recuperate, then went for a complete makeover.”
Suresh's re entry in Tamil cinema with Asal was more than welcome in 2009. He played a French cop with an interesting character that kept one guessing till the last. He adds, “After Asal I got a spate of Tamil films and I did a lot more Tamil then Telugu movies. Our Telugu film makers have a soft corner for Hindi artistes. They like to spend crores on them and bring them here and ignore Telugu artistes but looks like the audience like me more than the producers. After my re entry with RP Patnaik's Broker , I'm into lots more Telugu projects. I produced Ma Inti Mahalakshmi , which completed 600 episodes and that was followed by another successful production My Name is Mangatayaru . I'm now planning to do a sequel. I have come away from regular rona dhona serials, I'm inclined towards romantic comedy.”
Ask Suresh if his son would follow suit and announce his debut soon, he has a very firm and an emphatic answer. “My son is 23 years old, doing MBA in Chicago and doesn't want to get into films. I always wanted to go abroad and study but my father lost so much money in a film and I was compelled to look for work at 16 and that is why I came into films..”
Suresh explains he had his head tonsured for Asal ; the film makers showed him a picture and wanted him in that particular look and he was quite enamoured with it. He avers, “I thought when I return I should look different. I'm growing my hair now. I am willing to do any role that is decent and keeps me on the edge. It feels nice to be back on familiar ground.”
