‘I wanted to be a gardener’

I am easily affected by grief, by incidents - people’s suffering in general, says Pawan Kalyan

December 02, 2013 01:12 am | Updated November 16, 2021 08:55 pm IST - HYDERABAD:

Actor Pawan Kalyan during an interaction with The Hindu at his residence in Hyderabad on Saturday. — Photo: Suresh Krishnamoorthy

Actor Pawan Kalyan during an interaction with The Hindu at his residence in Hyderabad on Saturday. — Photo: Suresh Krishnamoorthy

This soft-spoken guy has always been in the spotlight for more reasons than one. But deep down, he is one who looks inward.

“I have always wanted to be a gardener and I love the time I spend in my garden,” he says, quietly.

Since his debut with Akkada Ammayi Ikkada Abbayi , a dozen of his films in his 17-year long career have crossed the 100-day run. Hits ‘ya’ flops really don’t matter to him. Post Gabbar Singh , the most successful film of 2012, it is Atharintiki Daaredi in 2013 that is being talked about. It is the first Telugu film to join the Rs. 100-crore revenue club after a run of 50 days.

A 100-minute long interview ends up with more talk about himself as a person and less about his films. “I keep searching for the real Pawan Kalyan. We keep shifting from one phase to another, a metamorphosis,” he says. For one who has admittedly been a below-average student in school, he is well-informed about international news because he is a voracious reader.

‘Depressed kid’

He says he is easily affected by grief, by incidents - people’s suffering in general.

“I have been a depressed kid. I wanted to lead a quiet life, never wanted to be an actor. Nature, philosophy and social issues are the three things that always occupy my mind. You do not have any power over others, but can only change yourself,” he says.

What makes people think he is an angry man and a minute’s silence envelops the room.

“I was contemplative, never angry, but gripped with pain. If I do not respond to some situation, my conscience kills me. I believe in permissible violence, not necessarily non-violence,” he says.

What according to him is ‘permissible’ violence?

“I can’t define it but think of a situation where a robber enters my house. Do I fold my hands and request him to move out, or do I bash him up? You tell me,” he asks, with a disarming smile.

About his foray into politics and why he distanced himself from his brother’s ‘Praja Rajyam Party’, he quips, “I was never away to go back to politics.”

As of now, he says he is working on the script and pre-production work for Gabbar Singh 2 , the sequel to the 2012 block-buster. There’s one change now, though. Unlike the first, directed by Harish Shankar, this will see Sampath Nandi wielding the megaphone.

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