Srivathsan Nadadhur
Actor Ravi Varma, a.k.a Santosh Adduri is someone whom we’d love to hate for his effortless transformation as the menacing beast whenever the camera switches on. Off the camera, he remains a soft-spoken, content actor, who had once hoped to make a career in the networking space in the software sector. A near-death experience had changed the way he looked at life and that’s when he sought greener pastures and had chanced upon a career in films. He didn’t set his hopes high but was sincere in his approach, always lending an ear for suggestions.
If Koduku and Aruguru Pativratalu introduced him to Telugu films, it was his role as a notorious, arrogant father in Uyyala Jampala that made him an obvious choice to play the antagonist in a flurry of films ever since. His appearances in films including Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy, Dear Comrade, Rajdooth have been a cherry on the cake. In a chat with Klapboardpost.com, the actor talks about his humble beginnings, his recent digital release Buchinaidu Kandriga on Aha and having a good run in the industry for a decade and a half now.
The lessons he learnt from his early films and assignments
“For a guy who came from Singapore and knew nothing about the ways of the industry, Koduku and Aruguru Pativratalu taught me a lot. M S Narayana (garu) had changed my name from Santosh to Ravi Varma; he had launched me as a villain with Koduku. He was looking for someone who had resembled Hindi actor Pran. Pran was an actor who could do any role and was versatile and he wanted me to be like that. One film lead to the other and that’s how I found work; I didn’t even know that I had to go to production offices to seek roles.
Before films, the first time I faced the camera was for an advertisement for Airtel, the first in Telugu for the mobile network. I was allured by the making and the prospect of appearing in front of the camera, which gradually prompted me to make a career out of films. M S Narayana’s words during the making of Koduku repeatedly echo in my ears, ‘I don’t know about my son, but I am sure you’ll have a long run in the industry. Have patience, keep trying and just focus on your work. Forget about the results. There will be a time where filmmakers will approach you directly with offers.’ It’s an advise that I’ve followed and keep following even today.”
An accidental foray into television
“The television stint was quite accidental. I got a call from ace director Raghavendra Rao’s office and met him; he even promised me a lead role in one of his projects. I thought he was casting me for his movie. The project was put on hold for a while owing to some script changes; I was called for a screen test shortly. They had asked me for my dates for a bunch of days every month and I wondered why would a film take such a long time. I was told later that it was for a television serial titled Trishoolam. Though I initially had second thoughts about acting for television, many of my friends advised me to make the most of the opportunity irrespective of the medium. They told it would lead me to my destiny and I wasn’t proved wrong.
I kept getting several TV offers later and ultimately, Manjula Naidu’s Mogali Rekulu landed on my plate. I was called in to replace an actor Selva, who backed out due to a few issues. They wanted a bulky actor with a heavy build and were apprehensive if my personality would match the part. I always felt that getting into the psychological space of the role is more important than the way an actor looked and they were surprised by my conviction. Within a month, audiences accepted me in the role of a don and there was no looking back.”
Fascination to unveil grey shades on screen
“I wasn’t drawn to lead roles since the beginning of my career; negative roles attracted me more. I always felt that villain roles are more varied and diverse from film to film in comparison to lead roles, who keep doing the same thing more or less. I am inspired by Prakash Raj’s work and felt it was a huge compliment when a few friends from the television industry had referred to me as Jr. Prakash Raj. Since the days of Antahpuram, I have been a huge fan and am greatly surprised by the variety of roles he essays, be it his appearance, behaviour or body language. A few lead roles had come my way in my initial days but I was either unhappy with the script or the director. Entha kashtapadina, I wasn’t sure if it would be worth it.”
No monotony with the negative roles
“Luckily enough, most of the antagonist roles that I’ve played had enough variation from film to film. For instance, I did Uyyala Jampala where I played a father to a girl and spoke the Godavari slang, the equation between them is raw. With Buchinaidu Kandriga too, I may have got the role of a father, but there is a transformation in the character towards the end and the slang too is different; I’ve tried to bring in some changes with the body language. I generally go by how the director has envisioned the role and try my best to not repeat my style of acting. For any film, the key to a good performance is the confidence that a director has about the actor and his ability to extract his best out of him. This is more important than the actor’s confidence is his/her own capabilities.”
Unaffected by issues that crop up
“Most of the people whom I work with are someone keen on casting me for the part; so the issues of secondary treatment and absence of timely payment don’t arise. There have been some situations where banners haven’t paid me in full citing reasons of losses in their previous films, but they are part and parcel of work. I’ve come here to make a career in the industry and I don’t get hassled by these issues much, even though they’re delicate.”
The relief of not having to sit a cubicle
“There are times I may miss the corporate world but I’m very happy that my world isn’t restricted to that cubicle anymore. I am a guy who likes to explore and have dreaded the prospect that a majority of my lifetime would be spent at the cubicle. It may have been a job that would have given me a cushy career in the US or any other country. The beauty about working in the film industry is that you keep meeting new people every day and challenges are thrown at you. There’s nothing like boredom in acting; I can safely admit I haven’t yet faced that monotony at least.”
The Buchinadu Kandriga experience and the way ahead
“When a group of passionate people work around you, like they did in Buchinaidu Kandriga, the enthusiasm is infectious. Everyone in this film, in particular, was united in their zest to offer something new for audiences. There was a language coach who had helped us with the Chittoor slang. The film comes with a good message about doing away with caste rivalry and as a person too, caste is the last thing that I think of. The director, Krishna Paluru, has been a writer for several films in the past, with experience in television and the Tamil industry too. I didn’t know him when I entered the set on the first day, but his working style told me that he was a guy with experience and clarity. He was very aware of what he was doing. Additionally, it’s a blessing to have a digital release in this hour. We may not have had this reach had we stuck to a theatrical release after normalcy had set in.
Between my films and television soaps, I did a few short films, of which Laddu, a story about a 60-year-old diabetic patient became popular. My close friend Sasidhar had directed it, whom I had known since the day I entered the industry. The film went onto garner Nandi awards and over 40-50 awards from several film festivals across the globe. A decade from now, I hope to play supporting roles in 80% of the Telugu films that release in the theatres. I have done roughly about 50 films but don’t have any interest to direct in the near future. I am here to act and there are other people who’re there to do that job. Film production may be on the cards, though it’ll take time to happen.”
