I am not really missing theatre as I get to act in films, that too in different languages, such as Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Marathi, my mother tongue.
I have done films in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada. I don't find any difference.
Apart from English, I speak my mother tongue Malayalam, as well as Tamil, Telugu, and a bit of Kannada and French.
Telugu is a lot like Kannada, so I don't have a problem with Telugu. But Tamil is very difficult to learn, man.
I did Kannada when I was in college. I wasn't even sure of what I was doing. I started figuring out my career in acting when I began doing Telugu and Tamil films.
Besides Kannada, I also know Telugu and Tamil fairly well.
I am not familiar with Telugu, Tamil or Malayalam and tend to feel they are foreign languages to me.
Telugu and Tamil industries keenly watch Malayalam movies and are appreciative of the content, be it 'Ustad Hotel,' 'Premam' or 'Bangalore Days.' They've also been listening to our music. That's how I was approached for Telugu films.
I was eight years old when I was offered a film. And before I knew it, I was acting in Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu movies.
Bollywood is a different ballgame. I am quite used to Tamil and Telugu films.
I am very happy that all my films are getting positive reports in both Telugu and Tamil.
In fact, my earliest films were in Tamil and Telugu and since then I have been acting in all languages.
True, I was born and raised in Chennai, fluent in Tamil, but essentially, I am a Telugu guy and a Telugu actor.
Four of my films have been remade in Tamil and Telugu. Although I haven't seen any of these remakes, I do feel happy that I've been a part of good films. It's nice to know that some scripts still leave behind a mark after their theatrical run this way, so I have to admit, it is quite flattering.
As long as I am acting, I will do only Telugu films. I want to take Telugu films to the world. Everyone should talk about our films.
In Tamil and Telugu films, I am not called for stylish roles and often play rustic or unglamorous roles in them.