When it rains, it pours. Naveen Polishetty would vouch for it. It’s been around 10 years since he quit his IT job to become an actor, and recalls having given more than 1500 auditions, waiting to land roles of merit. He become a known name with those sharp and witty AIB: Honest Engineering Campus Placement videos and the TV series 24 co-starring Anil Kapoor.
The big break to play the lead role came with Agent Sai Srinivasa Athreya , for which he also co-wrote the screenplay with director RSJ Swaroop. The Telugu film, which was released in June, became a hit and Naveen has been basking in the appreciation. He’s now counting down to his Hindi film debut with director Nitesh Tiwari’s Chhichhore , scheduled to release on September 6.
Chhichhore is a story of six friends and unfolds in the IIT Bombay campus; Naveen’s co-stars include Sushant Singh Rajput and Shraddha Kapoor. One of his many AIB videos was instrumental in Naveen getting this opportunity. “It’s one of those destiny-driven stories,” begins Naveen, “I was shooting in Nellore for Agent … Someone from casting director Mukesh Chhabra’s team had shown my video to Nitesh and he liked it. I got a call asking me to audition in Mumbai.”
Nellore to Bollywood
After the audition, Naveen was told that it was for Dangal director’s new film that has six leads. Naveen who had gone through enough cycles of expectations and disappointments, knew not to keep his hopes high. For three months thereafter, nothing happened. He got busy with Agent , when he was called for the second audition. “At the end of this audition Nitesh sir hugged me and said I’m on for the role. I began shooting for Chhichhore parallel to Agent during the schedule breaks,” says Naveen.
He says Chhichhore is a film that everyone can relate to — a throwback to campus life and a reunion of friends after 25 years. Looking back at the friendly vibes on set, he says the six leads had at first come together as actors and ended up becoming close friends: “We are like 2 a.m. friends now.” A video shared by Sushant Singh Rajput shows him and Naveen dancing away to ‘Koi Mil Gaya’ song from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai .
There was also an unexpected satisfaction in shooting at IIT Bombay. “My dad wanted to see me study in IIT. At least I was able to shoot there as an actor,” laughs Naveen.
After Agent , he has been listening to stories but wants to take up only those films that are strikingly original and different. “And I insist on a complete, bound script,” he asserts. Naveen is also writing for a new film and is open to the idea of acting and writing, much like Adivi Sesh.
Having worked on Agent for more than two years, he’s happy that the effort paid off. “We had no marketing and distribution muscle, but we believed in our story. The audience became our Dil Rajus, Suresh Productions and Geetha Arts, and asked their friends to watch our film,” smiles Naveen.
The film crossed 50 days in theatres and recently began streaming on Amazon Prime, which he says feels like a re-release, “The response has been phenomenal and we’ve been jumping with joy like little boys and girls. I’ve been getting responses from so many cities, since people from any part of the country can see it with subtitles.”
There are talks of other industries intending to remake the film as well. “It’s gratifying to see this happening,” says Naveen.
His journey into cinema wasn’t easy, with no film family connections to rely on, “It’s been a long process and calls for mental strength to keep looking for opportunities and striving to become better, to be able to deliver the best when the situation arises.”
He has begun working for a new Telugu film but he does not want to discuss it before the production house announces it.
Naveen is open to acting in any language, “Language is a tool to tell a story. I’m learning Tamil, since there have been a few requests from Tamil cinema. I want to be a pan-Indian actor and be a part of exciting stories and that way, I hope to work until I’m 80,” he signs off.
