Director Anish Kuruvilla’s appearance is different these days...and with a reason! He’s turned actor. He is playing a small but important part in MS Dhoni: The untold story a biopic on Indian cricket captain M.S. Dhoni and another role in Pelli Choopulu directed by Tarun Bhasckar starring Vijay Devarakonda and Ritu Verma.
The salt and pepper look that he sports for the movie rather suits him well. “I started greying from the age of 19, and I’m tired of colouring my hair. I don’t even have a girlfriend to impress so I am happy being myself now. It is so liberating.”
Will he consider full time acting? Anish says a big ‘No’. He calls himself an accidental actor. While working as hero in Dollar Dreams or as Raja’s friend in Anand , it was in the last minute someone dropped out and they couldn’t find a person immediately, Shekar Kammula would tell him to step in. He observes, “Shekar would say, ‘ikkade vunnavuga nuvvu cheseyocchuga’.. as long as the role was not very demanding and as long as I had a director who was sensitive to my limitations as an actor and work around, I was happy to do it and a couple of cameo appearances here and there.”
Anish cites the advantage of a director being an actor, “It enables us, as a filmmaker to get into the actor’s mindset. I know exactly how they are feeling and how unsure and confident they are. Acting is a different experience. Standing in front of the camera, you have to do something real and honest and sometimes over the top.”
Anish recollects his association with director Tarun Bhasckar. Pelli Choopulu “He sent me the script of Pelli Choopulu for feedback and after months of discussing the script he landed up at my house asking me to do a role in the film. I was not very comfortable that time. So I never took up acting seriously but the only time I gave it a consideration was when Sai Kiran Adivi wanted me to do Vinayakudu as I was over weight. But I didn't see myself doing it.”
He adds, “Tarun approached at the right time when I was ready. I lost 50 kgs without going on diet. Exercise became a big part of my life and I reprogrammed my brain from loving white rice, milk, sugar to focusing on highly nutritional daily routine. In this film I did a role older than I am, chopped my hair, went almost bald and played an elite urban character who speaks half English half Telugu. It is a feel-good film where there are no bad guys and it is a beautiful mix of urban and posh Telangana. The film is in post-production stage and I have a lot of confidence in the film; it is about what the generation thinks, their hopes and aspirations. It also has a tremendous ensemble cast, it is a heart-warming, sweet story.”
