The boy next door

Actor Varun Sandesh gets candid about his future project, love and life

The unmistakable American accent isn't the only thing that one notices about Varun Sandesh. A personal style statement that often borders on minimalism, nothing about Varun is loud and obvious. Earthy and charming, he never overdoes anything. The other day, when his sister was gushing about actor Prabhas' looks on television and his mother asked him why doesn't he do anything stylish in movies, he just guffawed.

However, he does take criticism seriously; after remarks on his lean structure, he has started working out and has taken fresh photographs and is flaunting them from his iPad, “See the muscle,” he points out excitedly. Also he's making that extra effort to bring the desi accent to his dubbing. At his new home in Film Nagar, Varun recollects the Happy Days times but says after a few films it has been a struggle to maintain his position in the industry. To remain a ‘weekend hero' consistently is no easy matter. He knew he was in circulation but says that is not a comfortable place for an actor to be in. After tasting success from Yemaindi Yeevela , he's made up his mind to do meaty roles and would love to be called the star of multiplex cinema some day.

Though

Yevaraina Yeppudaina did just average business,

Kurrodu ,

Maro Charitra ,

Happy Happy Ga failed in a row.

Yemaindi Yeevela lifted the actor's sagging spirit. He says what worked for the film was that it was in sync with the lives of the college going crowd. Also the film released without any hype or publicity, the movie itself spread the good word.

After the lean phase

The theatres screening the film had a rerun after a few weeks which proved how much the youth identified themselves with the story. The movie was about college students in hostels learning soft skills in Ameerpet. Varun adds, “Necking a girl in an internet café, luring her into the PG accommodation, I have never done such a daring role before. It even stirred a controversy — women in Ameerpet got annoyed for being portrayed in that vulnerable manner. The film was originally meant to be titled Maitrivanam .”

His new film,

Kudurthe Kup Koffee is releasing on February 25. One hour fifty five minutes in duration, it has no dance, no fights and no heavy duty dialogues. It is a drama with a serious approach. Varun plays Venu who loves to travel, is practical and his life revolves around his parents and a friend.

The heroine is a dreamer. We won't find these lovers going to a coffee joint and having mushy conversations; it is about love that you feel when you are apart and not together. “Coffee is more her thing,” giggles Varun.

The film was shot in Karnataka, Coorg, Keemangunde and a coffee shop was set up at the hill station. The actor describes Keemangunde as a very remote area, and one hour beyond that place there would be no food or a soul, no hot water and besides spotting a few people once in a week there would be only snakes, dogs and plenty of trees for company. He adds that his character Venu seemed so much like his director Ramana Selva. “As I shot I realised that Venu was similar to him, some experience must have happened to him but I never got to ask him. I guess films are reflection of the creator.” The actor sported a complete clean shave to look mature and was asked to speak with an accent, which seemed so easy for him.

On being compared to Siddarth, Varun says he doesn't quite understand that. Nevertheless he considers it a compliment being compared to somebody who has done films like Rang De Basanti and Nuvosthante Nenodhantana. “I met him once and found him to be a chilled out, down to earth person.”

Any girl in his life? He does find women in movies attractive but his priority is work. “I don't get carried away by looks; only her character can sweep me off my feet. But for that I need to know her talk to her. It will be one long story.”