Puri is an addiction

Says Satya who will be seen as the male lead in the director’s ‘Jyothi Lakshmi’ that is gearing up for a release this Friday. In a conversation with Hans Talkies, he shares his journey so far, how acting was an inherent choice, support from his family and the experience of working with the director he admires

Satya says he has cherished the dream of becoming an actor ever since he was a kid. “When I was in Class II, I was enacting a scene from ‘Kodama Simham’ where Chiranjeevi goes on a rope and I hurt myself in the process. That incident is etched in the form of a scar on my forehead even today,” recalls the Visakhapatnam bred actor, flashing a smile.

Starting off his career with an impressive performance in ‘Maine Pyaar Kiya’, he is now in the news for being cast as the male lead in Puri Jagannadh’s ‘Jyothi Lakshmi’. “When I was auditioning for the film, I didn’t really know about the role I was going to play because I had enacted a villain and assumed that’s what I will have to do. I was asked to lose some flab and return.

After two months when I was told that I was going to play the lead, the happiness I felt within me was immense,” the actor, who plays Charmme’s romantic interest in the film, reminisces. The experience of working with Puri, insists Satya, is nothing short of addiction. “If addictions like alcohol and smoking are one thing, I learnt that it is possible to also be addicted to a person after meeting and interacting with him.”

He adds as an afterthought, “If I talk about him, I will not stop! He never loses his cool; at least I have never seen him yelling at someone on the sets. He has a definite vision of what he wants and that’s the reason we finished the film in 36 days flat .” With his ability to perform, and a baritone many vie for, it will be safe to assume that Satya’s innings in Tollywood will be long and interesting.

Moreover, he is keen to experiment and doesn’t want to limit himself to clichéd lead roles. “I want to explore a variety of roles instead of just being a hero. I want to be able to portray any role with ease. I would rather opt for a story which drives a film than have the story weaved around me,” he shares. “In that sense, I relate to the kind of roles Irrfan Khanplays.”

The 28-year-old actor is glad to have a family that is immensely encouraging. “My parents always gave me a free hand to choose what I wanted to do with my life. And then my wife walked in. She was of immense support, pushing me hard to achieve my dream. The three of them and my sister are the four pillars of support in my life,” he says thankfully.

By Pranita Jonnalagedda