Ruling the BO
Y. Sunita Chowdhary
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Raviteja finds himself in a plum position after the success of `Bhageeradha' and the future includes a project with Ramgopal Varma.
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Photo: C. V. Subrahmanyam
HUMAN ANGLE He's got the looks
It seems you can't switch on the television these days without getting an eyeful of Bhageeradha promotional trailers clogging the airwaves. The Raviteja-Shreya starrer is running for the fourth week and the action man is ecstatic.
He entered the Telugu film industry with great courage and enthusiasm but had to face a 10-year-long period of struggle before getting a foothold in commercial cinema. A string of hits, countless offers, applause and thoughtful career moves... today it's a new, confident Raviteja who strides across the filmi firmament.He says, "Over the years, I've accumulated a lot of friends. I guess that's my biggest asset in the film industry."
Inevitably, the talk turns to the dread that comes with box office failure. "I always say it's not the destination but the journey that matters. I enjoy the process of acting.I push,promote, participate in the projection and then move on. After that, I don't make any inquiries about the box office performance. It isn't that I'm detached from the end-result. I always hope that my films do well for the sake of the people behind the scenes." About getting upset when Bhadra was called an average film, he says, "Why don't you give at least a week for the film to gain momentum, how can you comment on trade figures within a week of its release? I welcome healthy criticism but some people have made it a habit to rip every film apart. This affects overseas business. People abroad have limited access to our films and rely on websites for information. If these self-proclaimed film pundits give inaccurate news, all of us are affected. There are people who are dependent on the industry for their livelihood."
Mass appeal
You can love Raviteja's films for many reasons. His array of roles recently in Bhadra, Bhageeradha or Na Autograph has stunned fans and colleagues alike. The stories in his films are simple and are easy to connect and they may not be likable but what they are is human. If you can't relate to them personally, they remind you of a family member or close friend. Overall, his kind of films are for those who like movies based in reality, which can produce some of the most bizarre and comical situations. Right now Raviteja is working in Shock.
Working with none other than Ramgopal Varma, the film should obviously be something that Raviteja has a lot to talk about. "He saw me in Idiot and since then had wanted to make a film with me. I like the man on a personal level and as a film maker too. I'm confident about Harish, the director who's worked with him as an associate, and the cast and crew is exemplary."
The affable actor guards his privacy very intensely. "I know that makes me boring copy. But so be it. I'm willing to be left out of centrespread write-ups. I'd rather not be written about than have my private life up for public consumption."
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