He’s been around in Telugu cinema since 1998 and has recall value as a character artiste. “Some people know my name, a few others don’t – but when they cross paths they comment that they’ve seen me in some film,” actor Vajja Venkata Giridhar, known in film circles as Giridhar, tells us. His career growth hasn’t been dramatic with momentous turning points, he concedes: “I’ve had a steady growth. When I look back, there are at least 60 to 70 films I’m happy about, thought most of them have been small roles.”

Giridhar is looking forward to this week’s release Amar Akbar Anthony starring Ravi Teja and Ileana in the lead, directed by Sreenu Vaitla. His association with the director goes back to the time of Andarivaadu and he talks affably about the several roles he’s done in this director’s films. In AAA, Giridhar enacts the part of a personal assistant of Vennela Kishore and is often the butt of jokes among four friends — Vennela Kishore, Raghu Babu, Srinivasa Reddy and Jayaprakash Reddy — who are part of the World Andhra Telangana Association (WATA) in the film. AAA is largely set in the US. Though he’s constantly snubbed, towards the end there’s a role reversal, reveals Giridhar.

Giridhar hails from West Godavari district and moved to Hyderabad during his college days, in the early 90s. “My father was in the police force and since he travelled extensively for work, I was in a hostel during my school days. After moving to Hyderabad, I wanted to pursue a career in movies,” he says.

Giridhar remembers a cafe that used to exist near Somajiguda and was an adda for several filmmakers in the 90s: “My cousin Prabhu who is Chandra Siddhartha’s classmate, introduced me to several directors. I faced the camera for the first time for director Vijaya Bhaskar’s Swayamvaram (screenplay by Trivikram Srinivas), but my debut film was Jayanth Paranji’s Premante Idera starring Venkatesh, in 1998.”

With Sumanth in a still from Subrahmanyapuram  

The actor has picked up small roles since then and talks about working with Trivikram Srinivas, Veeru Potla, Sriwass, Sreenu Vaitla, Krishnavamsi, Harish Shankar and Dasarath among others. “I didn’t have a Godfather in the industry but there have been several good directors, and writers like Gopi Mohan, who supported my journey,” says Giridhar.

Among the films he’s been a part of, Giridhar cites his roles in Athadu, Aa Naluguru, Baanam, Vedam (directed by Krish), Greeku Veerudu, Santhosham and Gabbar Singh among the ones that got him noticed.

After AAA, in the pipeline are the thriller Subrahmanyapuram directed by Santhossh Jagarlapudi, director Anil Ravipudi’s F2, and several other projects.