No-frills guy

BASKING IN SUCCESS Ravi Teja.

Raviteja is an interviewer's nightmare. He talks fast in monosyllables, at the most a sentence and looks at you to pop the next question. He can finish a formal chat in five minutes and can throw a glare at you in askance. But he drops his guard when he is surrounded with familiar faces and directors, colleagues whom he talks to on a day-to-day basis. Those who know him vouch that he's not somebody who needs to be demystified; simple and hard working, he has his priorities right and has worked hard to come this long in his career.

At his penthouse, Raviteja is sipping green tea with honey and says he is a morning bird. “Lot of work can be completed by 7 a.m., people who wake up at 10 and 11 don't know what they are missing, he says. He's turned vegetarian recently and reveals that he's feeling light. “I can find the change, kopam, chiraaku taggipoyyayi plus, I'm discovering the variety and taste of vegetarian dishes.”

Ask any aspiring or any established director, whom they are going to work with next, they'll boast ‘Mass Maharaj' which is his title. After

Mirapakai released, countless people approached director Harish Shankar asking to be introduced to him or for an appointment. All along his career he displayed his knack for picking stories that the audience likes, keeps his market alive by planning films that are never above the budget and looks at the over all viability.

Unlike in other films, one hardly finds a comedian dominating the hero in a Raviteja's film. He provides his own brand of entertainment and has the capability to pull off a winner at the BO even in the absence of comedians in the movie. He is also not too much into experimenting and never demands mammoth, lavish sets that makes him the favourite of producers. He says the script is the soul of the film, the frills don't matter to him. There is zero wastage in his projects, he believes that once a film releases you don't have control over it, all you can do is minimise the cost. At a time when most stars limit themselves to one film a year he's had three releases, the workers consider him god as his films give them daily wages 365 days a year. There has been an occasional

Autograph, Neninthe, Sambho Siva Sambho the roles of which he says were real but didn't work out commercially. He says, “I loved Autograph , it wasn't a movie, I saw life in it but it got acclaim and masses didn't like it. Sambho Siva Sambho released at the wrong time. Heard people saying I'm doing clichéd comedy but I don't care, what matters is it should work with a larger audience and it's happening, I'm trying a variety and the result isn't disappointing.”

The actor's energy levels are high and clearly visible, be it his dances, dialogues or body language on the screen with consistency. A director's delight, Raviteja surprises them with his spontaneity, new mannerisms and dialogues. He doesn't bother if the director who's come to him with a script has a flop behind him, all that matters is the script, the narration, the character and its mood. Always on his toes, he remarks, “I cannot handle dull, lazy, morose people. I have been like that since childhood. If someone says ‘ inkaa yentandi sangathlu' in a dragging manner I get restless. I seek speed, clarity and a practical approach in people I mingle and work with. I can't see myself working in films that stretch beyond maximum four months.”