Like most interesting people, he holds within himself many different aspects. At once charming, elegant & then exhibiting the confidence of a Mega Power Star, Ram Charan Tej is a package of contradictions. He is at times shy, at other times disarmingly outspoken; his speech is peppered with references to philosophy, his love for cars & horses; he’s the ultimate industry insider’s outsider, an artist who could take full advantage of a high-profile star son’s career, but who has instead blazed his own trail towards his own brand of fulfillment. He’s been patient and methodical and, with the best of acting offers still coming in, he’s just about where he wants to be in life. MAA Stars had the pleasure of speaking with Mega Power Star Ram Charan Tej, where he spoke about life before & after movies, the likely comparisons between him & his dad and lots more… .
1.First up, your comments on this shoot
To be frank, I am more comfortable with film shoots rather than photo shoots. I admit I even get scared at times. But this shoot with maastars has been an amazing experience. I never realized that photos shoots can also be done so easily with such perfection. I felt very comfortable as everything was planned and organized so well. Everybody, right from the cameraman to every individual in the team, was in proper sync with each other. And the photos have come out great. It was a really amazing experience. I’ve had lots of fun.
2.From being the Megastar’s son to being the Mega Power Star in your own right…the journey… what has changed?
Nothing really has changed per se. I still feel the same. But when it comes to the fan support, I personally enjoy all those accolades showered on me. They say that one should grow step by step in his field, but it feels like I am already placed on a pedestal, way above where I deserve to be right now. I love my fans for this though I have a lot more to accomplish.
3. Obviously your dad is a role model. How was life growing up as his son?
Having a person at home who has 30 years experience in his field is definitely advantageous to an actor like me by all means. Keeping his star image aside for a moment, but the obedience he has shown towards his directors, the way he moulded himself to his Director’s needs is just amazing. The knowledge that he gained in all these years fetches me many things. I got to learn a lot from him each and every single day for the past 27 years. The attitude which an actor should carry, his behavior in the industry, I learned every bit of it from my dad. Normally many actors may take time to realize & learn all these things on their own. But luckily, I learnt everything even before I entered the industry itself!
4. How did the fact that you’re from a film family shape your sensibilities? Did it give you some sort of a direction early on in life?
Frankly speaking, I was never pushed by anyone to become an actor. I believe one should take their own path as per his/her wish in life. Otherwise we can never justify one’s purpose in life. Never did my dad try to push me into acting. After I finished college, I just went upto him and put forth my wish to act. Those were the happiest moments for my dad. He told me that he was waiting for the day his son would walk up to him to say those words for a long time. He felt elated over my interest to act. Without doubt, he has given me a very good platform and I strive to make the best use of it.
5. Did you always feel drawn to movies?
Seriously, I never thought of acting until I was 16 years old. I used to enjoy watching dad’s movies but never envisaged myself to become an actor like him on screen. But when the time came for me to think of making a career, the thought of cinema came to me for the first time.
6. What’s the best thing about being in the film world?
To me, it’s about living all those emotions. Usually, people end up frustrated because they are unable to find that outlet to vent their emotions out. An actor’s biggest advantage is that he can take all his frustrations & irritations out naturally onscreen. We get to play the navarasalu (nine emotions) in a single day. It may sound funny but it really works.
7. And the worst?
We lose our sense of comfort. Getting up at odd times, following strict instructions, the rigor & discipline an actor has to put himself through can sometime get to him. But soon, it turns itself on its head & becomes a blessing in disguise. So I am not really complaining.
8. What about fame?
Irrespective of a film’s result, you need to keep a balanced mindset. Never let fame get to you. That’s my dad’s biggest plus point. If his movie’s a flop, he plans his next project carefully. If his movie’s a hit, he still plans his next project carefully. He loves what he does. He doesn’t let fame or success get into his head. Once he finishes a movie, he’ll have a dinner with the unit and move on the next project. I have grown up in the shadow of his qualities, which I always strive to emulate. It makes me happy that my movie does well. But I never let that success get to my head and never let arrogance creep into my attitude. It will demean my success.
10. People are so judgmental about star sons. What goes through your mind when you read stuff? How do you take criticism?
I take it the same way as well. Just like how I take my hits and flops, I take criticism also on the same note. I think this is all part of the game. Along with money & fame, we have got to accept criticism also. There is a famous saying in horse riding which says “Until & unless you fall at least 7 times from your horse, you will never be recognized as a horse rider”. If I don’t possess the capability to take criticism, I can never be called a complete actor. That’s what I believe.
11. Do you find it strange that people have already started trusting you, with so few films to your credit?
I accept it with all humility. The admiration & love showered on me makes me really happy. I will try to take my skills to the next level. And I will definitely not disappoint my admirers!
12. How much of your acting do you put down to genetics and how much to the rest?
Growing up, obviously my dad is an inspiration and I have imbibed some of his traits. Even as an actor, I am inspired by him though I have consciously tried to develop a style of my own. Acting in my dad’s style of body language comes naturally to me. But I blend it with my own style. Maybe an 80% Charan, 20% Chiranjeevi! People keep saying they see a bit of my dad’s style in me, but they also say that they found my style different than that of my father’s! That’s what makes me happy.
13. Interestingly, in an interview with MAASTARS, Chiranjeevi garu has remarked that Charan is not just one or two movies old but in fact he’s 150 movies old, since he considers all his experience passed on to you. Your reaction….
Yes, my dad’s movies always keep playing in my mind. His experience is behind me, driving me, pushing me forward with greater force. Chiruta is my 149th movie and Magadheera is my father’s 149th movie.
14. What aspects do you both discuss about movies?
We talk about general issues. Cinema is the last thing on our mind then since we would have been on the sets the whole day & we just want to relax. We discuss about life, we watch DVDs together, and we play games together on a big projector in our bedroom. Our film magazines, awards etc are all limited to the office only. None of them reach our bedroom. 9am-6pm is when we are associated with films. We switch to family mode after that. And this was taught by dad a long back.
15. As an actor, are emotions easily accessible to you? Or do you have to work hard at them?
Every actor is able to some emotions easily and others not so. It’s the same with me. In such a case, I discuss with & follow my director’s instructions.
16: Are you emotional in real life?
Yes I am an emotional person in life. Because I grew up in a huge family and have seen all kind of emotions in my life journey so far.
17: Are you more of an optimist or a pessimist?
I am pretty optimistic. I believe one fact that every person is not the same. One of the best qualities in optimism is to let everybody be who they are.
18. As a son, what have you learnt from your father?
Family is always first in dad’s mind. Every Sunday, he invites all 30 members of our family home. And he spends the whole day with all of us. It’s a Sunday tradition that we follow even till today. Maybe we miss an odd Sunday here and there because of his travelling & other important commitments but invariably we are all together. He’s taught us about the importance family & about morals. It’s with him that we learnt to be together irrespective of what we have and what we don’t. If we have family, they will never let us down, their support will be with us all the time.
19. As an actor, what have you learnt from Chiranjeevi?
I feel his innocence is his biggest asset on screen. He has never played any intelligent character. He has always played characters that are close to the common man. He always retained that innocence. I am still learning that from him.
20: As a young leader in the industry, do you think you are obligated to pushing the creative boundaries of your field sufficiently?
Definitely, we are trying to push our limits more than our previous generation. Every actor should have such openness. Otherwise I would have never committed to ‘Orange’ after ‘Magadheera’. I would have opted for another big banner or director. I am interested in doing versatile roles. Orange is a sensible social movie.
21. Your comments on the ‘new wave’ of cinema hitting our industry…
It is very healthy. If you look at the recently released movies, all those so-called ‘small budget’ films like ‘Ashta Chamma’, ‘Prasthanam’, ‘Vinayakudu’. ‘Andari Bandhuvaya’ have all done well. I personally encourage the new wave of talented directors that are coming along. These people should have a better platform to showcase their talent.
22. Speaking of new, we keep hearing about this new movie called Charan Arjun…
I hope that rumor comes true one day. We are searching for a good script that would suit both Bunny & me. If any director convinces us, we are ready to jump in. We will both give our dates immediately without any second thought.
23. There is a talk that you and Jr.NTR both are good friends. Is there any possibility of doing a film with NTR and other heroes?
Definitely, the idea of working in a multi starrer has always been there in my mind. Personally I feel that there should be healthy competition in any field, not personal rivalry. Nobody is competition to you. One should understand that no two people are the same. I have my own strengths and NTR has his own. Our talents are different. Earlier there used to be a comparison between dad and Mr. Balakrishna. Again, both are different and have their individual talents. Jr NTR is a good person who always wants to work in his own space. We never carry any egos with us. We are very normal when we meet outside. I wish fans also understand this and stop creating controversies in between us. I wish fans would limit their emotions to within the boundary of cinema itself.
24. Please tell us about your new movie “Orange”..…
‘Orange’ has completed almost 70%. 30 more days shooting is left. We are trying to release it sometime in October. While working on Magadheera, I felt my next movie should be a love story. This was because I didn’t want to restrict myself to a particular image. That’s how I came about to doing “Orange”. I took the initiative first, met Bhaskar and got the movie started. I wanted to do a different kind of love story. Hope ‘Orange’ fulfills my wish. It’s a very educative movie and it’s going to be unique.
25. Bhaskar Vs Rajamouli Vs Puri Jagannadh 3 different styles. How did you cope?
It’s about blending in & delivering what the director wants. I always try to be a director’s actor. All 3 directors have got their own style of treating a movie. They are confident, talented individuals.
26. What is discussed more at home nowadays- films or politics?
We’re balancing it out nowadays. He updates me on politics and I update him on the movie front. I’ve just returned from Malaysia, so we’re catching up on the past events & happenings.
27. Any movie that when you watched as a child that made you feel, “That’s the kind of film I want to be in?
Thought professionally I do big commercial films, personally I prefer soft and emotional movies.
I like ‘Rudraveena’ a lot. I connected to that movie very well. My other favorites are ‘Abhilasha’, and of course ‘Gangleader’.
28: What kind of a child you were?
Sometimes I was a stubborn kid. But my folks knew that even I would listen to them if they fulfilled my demands or not. My mom still keeps saying that my behavior reminds her of her dad, Late Allu Ramalingayya Garu. My dad also said the same recently. Now I try to act according to their wishes only.
29. Did you do any acting in school/College?
I did not do anything specific. Although just before I joined acting, for a bird’s eye view, I went to the London School of Theater and Drama, did some courses there. I also went to the well-known Namit Kishore of Bombay.
30. Had you not been into this film industry, what would you have become?
I love cars. I admire those automobile design professionals. I planned to take up Automobile Engineering. Who knows I would have become an industrialist with my own Automobile Industry?
31. What’s the best piece of advice anyone’s ever given you?
When I was in London, an old man said “You are already a Star’s son. I have seen your efforts and work in the school. Don’t forget to take everyone along with you when you are reaching heights in your career. Do not ignore anyone when you are climbing up. Who knows, one day you may fall, and at that point of time those people will be there to catch you”. Those words made me think so much. That’s the best advice I got so far.
32. What does style mean to you?
Being comfortable in what you wear is style. No matter if it is a t-shirt worth Rs.50/- or a jacket worth Rs. 50,000/-, it all depends how comfortable we look in it. And oh yeah, be fit.
33. What does power mean to you?
Power is not controlling or dictating people. I believe power is nothing but responsibility.
34. Tell us something about your passion for horses. (in detail if possible)
I believe that every human being relates to an animal. My dad relates to Lions as his sun sign is Leo. And I connect to horses. A young horse is a majestic creature. Yet it is humble. It keeps quiet until someone tries to ride it. Very few animals exhibit such traits. And moreover, horses are completely owners’ pets. They are true companions. And that’s why I love them!
35. Now that this interview has come to an end, deliver a “Mega Power Style” punch dialogue for your fans…
Okkokkarini kaadu Sher khan. vandamandini okesari pampinchu…. (Dialogue from “Magadheera”)
Favorite Movie: Gladiator
Favorite Chiranjeevi Movie: Khaidi
Favorite Dialogue:
“Face turning ichchuko” from Gharana Mogudu
Favorite Food: Indian Vegetarian
Favorite Hero: My Dad & Tom Hanks
Favorite Heroine: As of now, I don’t have any favorites
Favorite Location Spot: New Zealand
Favorite Holiday Spot: London
Favorite Brand: Nothing in particular, it keeps changing with time
Favorite Accessory: Watch
Favorite Music: Peppy Numbers, Hollywood Hip Hop etc
First Crush: Movies
First Car: Honda CRV
First Pet: Cocker Spaniel
First Kiss: My mom on my Forehead
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