Ravi Teja is on a roll, what with two films up his sleeve besides a film in the pipeline with director Vi Anand. The 50-year-old actor, who has played a variety of roles will next be seen as an orphan in his upcoming Nela Ticket. In his nonchalant stride, the Mass Maharaja with a confidence in his demeanour says, “We made a sincere attempt and there are many aspects considered a clap-worthy in the story. The trailer showcases the protagonist’s fight for the rights and the well-being of senior citizens.
The film highlights the instances of children ill-treating and abandoning their elderly parents. It’s the duty of children to take care of their parents in their old age and such emotions in the script have attracted me to do this film. The story treads a familiar plot of a revenge drama but the execution will be fascinating.”
Ravi Teja is eager to gauge whether the young generation will warm up to the film.
“In the past, there were only touring talkies where we had only three classes – Nela (floor), bench and kurchi (chair). Memories are still fresh of me buying a floor ticket for `1.10 and watch films. Those who sit on the floor will savour every frame in the film. The younger generation knows nothing about those things and are clueless about the word Nela Ticket. A few days ago, my children asked me its meaning and I shared my past experiences with them. I believe, this film has a theme for all sections.”
His last outing Touch Chesi Chudu failed to create an impact at the box office. But, the actor is undaunted. “Each film will have its own space and is different. Even if you deliver 10 flops, it doesn’t affect your next release. If a film is good, nothing matters and the audience will throng the theatres. I don’t worry about the past and never think of tomorrow. I’m working on my own terms and strongly believe in doing my kind of cinema.”
Admittedly, the Bengal Tiger actor reveals that he draws inspiration by watching a different kind of cinema. “Cinema is my inspiration and my life as well. I watch a lot of foreign language films during my leisure time and feel inspired. I also watch some films recommended by my friends,” shares the actor.
Recently, director Ram Gopal Varma shared a video from the audio release of Nela Ticket where Power Star Pawan Kalyan was seen playing around with Ravi Teja’s torn jeans. The Sarkar director took a dig at the Gabbar Singh actor for showing interest in the Balupu actor’s thighs.
Unperturbed by the brouhaha, Ravi Teja explains, “I’ve read many tweets and stories about that. As it was a torn jeans, he casually touched the frayed thread and it was totally blown out of proportion. As you know, Pawan Kalyan is a fun-loving person and he is my dearest friend. Such stories don’t bother me.”
Ravi Teja started working in the Telugu remake of Tamil film Theri. He reveals that a lot of smart changes were made to the original. “About 70% of the Theri script has been tweaked to suit our sensibilities. It’s completely a fresh film with my role having many variations,” concludes Ravi Teja.
muralikrishna.db@newindianexpress @onlymurali
