“Ravi Teja was the greatest inspiration for me to come into films”, says the upcoming hero Sritej, who was supposed to be an IPS officer but turned into an actor with passions on films. In the recently released ‘Teeyani Kalavo’, the actor played a lover boy character. Producer Balamuri Rammohan Rao gave him the opportunity to play the lead role in this youthful romantic entertainer, directed by Shivaji U on Sivakesav Art Productions banner. The actor recently sat down to discuss a few things ranging from how his career started as an actor to his recently released film ‘Teeyani Kalavo’. Here are few excerpts:
When asked “Is acting something you always wanted to get to when you entered the films?” Sritej replied, “I’m from Vijayawada. I don’t belong to a family that has a film background. I do not have a Godfather to support me either. My father is a farmer, yet he wanted me to pursue IPS. But my interest was something else. I’ve great passion for films. So when my parents have sent me to Hyderabad to prepare for IPS groups, I head straight to the film industry and joined as an assistant director nine years ago. Gradually I started playing small roles. I did not get any recognition even though I did good roles and received appreciations for my performances. After a very long time, ‘Teeyani Kalavo’ earned me good recognition as an actor. It’s truly an unforgettable experience in life.”
In the interview Sritej continued to talk about his work as an assistant director and actor. “I worked as assistant director for films like ‘Aaduvaari Matalaku Ardhale Verule’ and ‘Mounaragam’. Later I did small roles in films like ‘Shankar Dada Zindabad’, ‘Mogudu’ and ‘Okka Magaadu’. Subrahmanyam, who worked in direction department for the film ‘Aaduvaari Matalaku Ardhale Verule’, gave me an opportunity to do the male lead role in ‘Na Saamy Ranga’. But that film could not reach the public due to lack of publicity. Then I got the opportunity to do a lover boy character in ‘Theeyani Kalavo. The film is getting good response all over and also earning me good name. I was trained in dances and fights. I thank my director for giving me a wonderful role to play in this film. Our producer also gave good publicity to the film.”
When asked “Is there anyone in the film industry who inspired you to become an actor?” the actor answered, “Yes! I’ve not done any acting courses. The large mirror in my room helped me to learn acting and dancing. Ravi Teja is my greatest inspiration for me to turn actor. He worked hard for nearly 15 years before he became a hero. That really inspired me to go ahead with my current position. I'm working very hard to get opportunities in films. My other favourite actors are Chiranjeevi and Pawan Kalyan. I’m impressed with Samantha’s acting as well.”
Speaking about how he loves to play roles from genres Sritej said, “The difference between big screen and small screen is, we get opportunities to prove ourselves with different roles in big screen. But when it comes to TV serials, the actor is forced to confine to a single character for a longer period. That’s the reason why I show more interest in films. It‘s okay with me doing negative roles or supporting characters if the story is good. I’m not adamant in sticking to lead roles only.”
Sritej concluded his interview saying, “Apart from films, I love journalism. So I’m planning to do that course in Telugu university during my free time. My latest film ‘Via Papikondalu’ is ready for release shortly. That film’s concept is very different and interesting. I’m confident that the film will catch the audience’s attention.”
