He has been giving interviews for hours at a stretch and it isn’t over yet. When Nani settles down for this conversation at a five-star hotel in Hyderabad after a 10-minute break, with a glass of warm water to soothe his throat, he shares that he will be heading to the dubbing studio a little later for a few corrections for his Telugu film Saripodhaa Sanivaaram. The vigilante action drama directed by Vivek Athreya and co-starring SJ Suryah and Priyanka Arul Mohan, releasing on August 29, is titled Surya’s Saturday in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada.
In his career spanning 16 years, Nani has worked on two to three films on average each year, with short breaks between films. The industry knows him as someone who eats, breathes and lives cinema. Is it this passion for cinema or the urge to wake up and go to work each day that keeps him going? It is a combination of both, he says, “The love for cinema makes me want to wake up and go to the sets each day. If I do not work, I will miss the joy of being a part of cinema.”
A background check with a team member of Saripodhaa Sanivaaram reveals that Nani is a stickler for punctuality and stays composed during long, hectic schedules. He is known to work without ego issues, unafraid of being overshadowed by co-actors. Assistant directors (ADs) and directors often turn to him for creative suggestions and problem-solving. Nani takes the appreciation with a smile and says, “The punctuality aspect is ingrained in me. Today I made you wait, but that is because things are not completely in my control, given the scheduling of the interviews. I do not like to keep anyone waiting, not even my friends. At work, it is my responsibility to be punctual.”
Everything is a bonus
Reflecting on his journey, Nani says he is more at peace when the attention is not on him. “I crossed the stage of fear and insecurity long ago. Even in my wildest dreams, I did not think I would have such a career and recognition. My dream of being an actor was fulfilled in my first few films. After that, everything has been a bonus.”
Post that stage of wanting to survive in cinema, Nani says he began to enjoy being a part of filmmaking. “If things do not work out tomorrow and the budgets for my films get cut, I will still be happy to work. Years ago as an assistant director, I woke up with the same enthusiasm to go to work.”
Priyanka Arul Mohan and Nani in ‘Saripodhaa Sanivaaram
While ADs who have observed Nani closely at work aver that he could still be a director if he intends to, the actor brushes it off. “It is easier to give suggestions to directors or ADs when I look at things from a fresh perspective while they have been working on the script and screenplay at a stretch. I am happy being a sounding board or a partner for discussions, but I do not impose my views. I have found my dream job. Moving from one world to another as an actor gives me a high.”
Saripodhaa Sanivaaram, reunites Nani and Vivek Athreya after Ante Sundaraniki. The word on the sets is that the duo shares a rapport that is nothing short of brotherhood. Nani recalls his first meeting with Vivek, before the release of Brochevarevarura. “I had heard so much about the film and Vivek as a person and his work ethic from Nivetha Thomas. Then the team invited me for a special screening. I loved the film, tweeted about it and that was it. Much later, we met when he came to narrate the story of Ante Sundaraniki. I could perceive whatever I had heard about Vivek from Nivetha, through that narration. There was honesty in his approach to cinema and storytelling. I was eager to work with such a director.”
Ante Sundaraniki was loved by a section of the audience, but it was not a box-office superhit. The three-hour duration was often cited as a reason. Did that translate to pressure when they regrouped for Saripodhaa…? “Perhaps Vivek felt that pressure, I did not. Anyone who has seen how I choose films would know that I stand by my choices and like to try out different genres. This time too, the duration is dictated by what is required for this story. It will be around 2 hours 45 minutes, but it is in a more mainstream zone.”
Step back, travel solo
Away from cinema, Nani enjoys an occasional solo travel break. It is his way of getting some much-need ‘me time’. “I come from a large family. Wherever I go — to my office or to a film set — I am surrounded by people. When I travel to the United States for vacation, I am with my sister’s (writer-director Deepthi Ganta) family. While I enjoy all this, I also remember that as a child I would spend a lot of time on my own. I used to miss that.”
The urge to travel solo set in but Nani says he would keep putting it away. “Once, my friends told me that I really need to do it.” In 2018, he packed his bags to a remote destination in Europe. “I enjoyed that 10-day trip a lot, walking the streets and just being myself. Unfortunately, I could not do it often. Early this year I managed to take a solo trip break. This is the only way I can completely unwind.”
An action entertainer is a first for Vivek Athreya, and Nani avers that each of his three films (Mental Madhilo, Brochevarevarura and Ante Sundaraniki) is special. “When we think of a talented cinematographer, we understand that his techniques will vary according to the film’s genre. It is similar with Vivek. It was special to see how Vivek, whose writing is layered and nuanced, handled an action film. There are interesting subplots and characters with definite arcs. If I put myself in the audiences’ shoes, I would be keen to see a Vivek Athreya action entertainer.”
No saviour complex
Nani in ‘Saripodhaa Sanivaaram’
The film takes place in a fictional town named Sokulapalem and Nani’s character takes on the antagonist played by SJ Suryah. This vigilante film, says Nani, will stand out since it does not showcase the hero as a saviour. “There is something more.”
Working with SJ Suryah, who is known to improvise on set, involved small changes that worked for the betterment of the film. Nani explains, “The dialogues, scenes and situations remained as dictated by the script. But we would make subtle changes in the form of body language and how we deliver certain things depending on the geography of the set.”
Post Saripodhaa Sanivaaram, Nani has films with Sailesh Kolanu (HIT 3) and an untitled film with Srikanth Odela in the pipeline. Contrary to the buzz, the proposed film with director Sujeeth has not been shelved, but will go on floors after the director completes the Pawan Kalyan starrer OG.