It may have taken an arduous five-year struggle for him to make a break in the Telugu film industry, but there’s no stopping Naga Shourya now. Known for his roles in films like Chandamama Kathalu and Oohalu Gusagusalade , the actor is busy completing back-to-back projects. Shourya, who just wrapped up Jaadugadu with filmmaker Yogi, is already busy shooting for another film while also completing dubbing for the former. And that has how it’s been ever since he made his debut.
“I like being busy,” says the actor, who is testing waters with Jaadugadu , a mass entertainer. “With my earlier films I’d been tagged as a ‘lover boy’ and I’m keen to do away with that. I want to prove my versatility as an actor and Jaadugadu gives me an opportunity to do so. I play Krishna, a simple guy from the village who goes on to become a crorepati. It’s a rags-to-riches kind of story,” adds Shourya, who says working with Yogi was an amazing experience.
“He’s great to work with. Yogi garu has this knack to keep his actors engaged in the character with great subtlety without us even realising it. He casually keeps talking about his visualisation of a character, and before you know it, you get into the skin of the person,” he explains.
He might have just wrapped up Jaadugadu but Shourya is already busy shooting for his next film and has another film lined up with Nandini Reddy of Ala Modalaindi fame from mid-April.
“Things are busy now and I’m on my toes all the time. Sometimes I don’t even realise how the days are passing by,” says the actor, who had a long struggle before he could make a mark in the industry.
“Thankfully I had my family backing me the entire time. I don’t think I could have made it without their support and might have given up after trying for a year or two. In those five years, I gave several auditions and signed several films but they all fell through,” says the actor, who had no godfather to initiate him into the industry. “I did have some contacts, but I didn’t want to piggyback on their goodwill.”
The actor almost wanted to give it all up when he landed Srinivas Avasarala’s Oohalu Gusagusalade . While filming for that he also completed Chandamama Kathalu , a multi-starrer where he managed to hold his own in the midst of other seasoned actors.
Needless to say, Shourya’s performances were well liked earning him critical acclaim as well as commercial success. His first four films earned him the lover boy tag that his eager to shake off. “I want to test my boundaries and prove my versatility. I’d love to play roles with gray shades some time in the future; maybe a psycho character or a villain even,” he smiles.
Given that two of his films Dikkulu Choodaku Ramayya and Lakshmi Raave Ma Intiki didn’t do well at the box office, the actor has taken it in his stride. At the same time he hasn’t really been basking in the glory of the success of his other two films either. “In fact, fans approaching me for autographs scares me. I don’t want to get used to all this too much. The industry is like a giant wheel and there may be days when I’m not at the top of my game. I’m practical that way,” says the actor who treats both appreciation and criticism as learning experiences.
“I don’t see why I should be disappointed with criticism. We all make mistakes and I’d rather learn from mine,” he says, adding that he’d love to work with Srinivas Avasarala once again.
