I’m in talks with Mani Ratnam for a film: Ram Charan

His last release ‘Bruce Lee’ failed to live up to the hype. Ram Charan agrees and goes on to explain that he took it in his stride. “Its poor performance was a learning experience and I have been learning with each film. I’m trying to evolve as an actor and take up challenging scripts like ‘Dhruva’. I am happy with the way my career is progressing. I believe it is going in the right direction,” he points out.

But did the fear of living up to expectations prompt him to push himself hard for ‘Dhruva’, a remake of Tamil hit ‘Thani Oruvan’? He replies, “Not really, I wanted to stay true to the role and make it look authentic. But the experience has been satisfying. Although we haven’t made too changes to the script, I constantly tried to bring in my own style to my part,” replies Charan, who is playing a cop for the second time after ‘Thoofan’.

“The preparation for ‘Dhruva’ hasn’t been a cakewalk. Both films are contrasting and as such, the road to preparing for the role was something new.” Did his wife Upasna, a fitness enthusiast and the Editor of a Health and Lifestyle magazine, dole out any tips on the diet front? Breaking into laughter, he informs, “No, she didn’t. I had my own trainers. I was pretty pleased with the way my body has shaped up.”

‘Dhruva’ narrates the tale of an IPS officer (Charan) who wants to arrest Siddharth Abhimanyu (Arvind Swamy), an influential scientist whose nefarious activities include using illegal medical practices for profit. Justifying Aravind Swamy’s inclusion into the project– he played the scientist in the original too–Charan says, “We thought he did a superb job in the original version. Plus, we couldn’t find any other actor who could match him.

So, we eventually went back to him. It was a pleasant experience rubbing shoulders with him.” He adds that since Rakul Preet Singh is a talent who proved her mettle, he and the unit decided to repeat her alongside him for the second time on the trot.

Going shirtless is something that Charan has never tried before in Tollywood but that has changed with the action thriller. Commenting on it, he smiles, “I did not go shirtless in my earlier Telugu films because the script never demanded it, so I didn't see the need. In ‘Dhruva’, since I play an intense and a strong cop, I felt a toned body will add value to the part.”

Not surprisingly, the suave actor will be seen in a cameo in his father Chiranjeevi’s comeback film ‘Khaidi No 150’, which he is producing under Konidela Production Company. “I’ll be seen in a cameo in a song. I’ve shot for it recently. Since it is dad’s landmark film, I’m happy to just be part of it in a small way,” he exults.

And on his upcoming projects, he says, “My film with director Sukumar will be a light-hearted entertainer. It will go on floors after dad’s film hits the screens in January, while a project with uncle Pawan Kalyan will roll in the second half of 2017. I’m also in talks with Mani Ratnam but it’s too pretty early to talk about it.”