Express News Service
Over the last few years, the lines between the southern and Hindi film industries have blurred with the rise of pan-Indian films. Several stars from the south, including Dulquer Salman, Vijay Deverakonda, Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu, have made their Bollywood debuts. The latest to jump on the bandwagon is Telugu actor Sreenivas Bellamkonda, with his film Chatrapathi.
Sreenivas stars in the titular role in the action drama that was released on May 12. It is the Hindi remake of SS Rajamouli’s hit 2005 Telugu film of the same name, starring Prabhas.
“It was challenging to be in Prabhas sir’s shoes, but when he said I had done justice to his character, I felt more confident,” says the 30-year-old. At the centre of the film is a man who, after getting separated from his family during Partition as a child, ends up being brought up by a gang that employs refugees as labourers. Eventually, he stands up against the goons to protect other refugees, earning himself the title of Chatrapathi. The film also stars Pyaar ka Punchnama actor Nushrratt Bharuccha.
About choosing the remake of this particular film as his Bollywood debut, Sreenivas says, “Not many people have seen the Telugu original, and audiences should be able to enjoy a good film, irrespective of the language.” To this end, he left no stone unturned. Despite knowing how to read and write in Hindi, he took classes to get his accent right. “I am still new in Bollywood, and many directors have been kind enough to speak to me in English. I, however, wanted to be fluent in spoken Hindi,” says the actor, who wants to work with directors such as Zoya Akhtar, Karan Johar and Rajkumar Hirani.
Sreenivas debuted in 2014 with the Telugu movie Alludu Seenu, for which he won the Filmfare Best Male Debut Award-South. Directed by VV Vinayak, who has also helmed Chatrapathi, the project was produced by his father Bellamkonda Suresh, who has previously bankrolled several big-budget films such as Ravi Teja’s Sambho Siva Sambho, Nandamuri Balakrishna’s Chennakesava Reddy and Daggubati Venkatesh’s Bodyguard. The actor, however, asserts that he had his share of challenges despite being from a film family.
“I was launched by my father, but it has not been easy for me after that. Like other newcomers, I struggled a lot. None of my films were doing well,” he says, adding, “There was a point when my father lost everything when multiple films by his production house bombed. People talk of nepotism, but I had to work my way up.”
Perhaps that is why the actor feels responsible for the faith that filmmakers and audience put in him. “I understand that everyone is investing a lot of time and money on me. I want to be their money’s worth. And, I have been experimenting with different kinds of films to entertain my viewers,” he says.
True to his word, Sreenivas has, in fact, dabbled in multiple genres in his almost decade-long career. There’s romance (Speedunnodu and Sita), comedy (Alludu Adhurs), crime (Rakshasudu), and a whole lot of action (Jaya Janaki Nayaka, Saakshyam and Kavacham).
His next film, tentatively titled BSS10, will be directed by Saagar Chandra, who helmed the Pawan Kalyan-starrer blockbuster, Bheemla Nayak (2022). A high-budget entertainer, it will be released in both Hindi and Telugu.
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