Here comes Nookayya

Actor Manoj Manchu gets candid on the eve of his new release

SINGLE AND BUSY Manoj Manchu has a lot on his platter

The meenakari work on the old-fashioned double-panelled door, the potted plants on the terrace, and the absence of life-size cutouts and posters in Manoj Manchu's office reflect the actor's understated taste. Part of the living room of his office expresses the actor's emotional side, from the urli with floating marigold and rose petals to childhood toys, awards and a picture of him with his dad, actor Mohan Babu. The rest is, well, a fully equipped gymnasium. With Mr Nookayya's impending release, is the actor a bundle of nerves? “No, I have no time to sit and feel nervous. With Mr Nookayya , I was simultaneously working on my home production Uu Kodathara Ulikki Padathara (UKUP), which is already on the sets, and we have completed eighty percent of it,” says Manoj. Touted as a one-of-a-kind movie in the making, UKUP is being jointly produced by Manoj and sister Lakshmi Manchu.

“My sister is my mother and my best friend,” says Manoj. “She knows everything about me and takes care of me.” The actor's expectations from Mr Nookayya are rational. “It is a minimum guarantee film. We are banking on the music (by Yuvan Shankar Raja) and stunts, especially the Pista song,” he says. He also doubled as the stunt director for the film. “I have been directing my stunts since Nenu Miku Telusa ,” says Manoj. He takes pride in his stunt work. “I do the stunts on my own. I never use dupes. In this movie, there is a stunt where I head towards a speeding car, jump and break the wind shield and take control of the car. I am very proud of the stunt and did two takes. Everyone was happy with the first take except me. I am also very proud of a stunt by Krithi Kharbanda. She trusted me and lay on the road before a speeding car. The car stops a few millimetres from her.

A Jackie Chan fan since childhood, Manoj says he used to be quite a “jumping around” kind of kid and that eventually led him to do his stunts on his own. The actor isn't just on a tight schedule to wrap up his movie, he is also working on a new image. “I am on a strict diet and planning a new look. All I can think of now is a simple

annam-pappu meal, which looks like a distant dream,” he chuckles. As an actor and producer Manoj says he also controls the budget of movies he acts in and doesn't let them go over budget unless it is absolutely necessary. “I also prefer to work with my friends for my home productions as that way as a team we are in good control of each other.” Support from his friends also keeps him focused on his work in the face of stress and the pressure to meet deadlines.

Avatar Talking of other actors and recent releases in the industry, Manoj says he is extremely proud and happy about Sunil's hard work in

Poolarangadu .

“Sunil

anna is a self-made man and knows what he is doing. I respect him a lot in the industry and wish him the best always.” In Mr Nookayya Manoj will be seen with two female actors opposite him, but his real life is a different scene. “I am single and I don't think with the kind of work I am doing I can afford to date someone,” he smiles.