Living the dream

Child-actor-turned hero Teja Sajja is bracing up for a major litmus test at the box office this week. His first solo hero film Zombie Reddy, which unites him with director Prasanth Varma, is gearing up for release on February 5. The starry-eyed youngster, who won accolades with his impeccable portrayal in films like Preminchukundam Raa, Chudalani Undi, Yuvaraju, Indra and Sri Ramadasu, has come a long way as an actor. He talks about the film and his future projects in a candid conversation.

Excerpts from the interview

How did Zombie Reddy happen?

Director Prasanth Varma is a close friend of mine. After Kalki, he was supposed to collaborate with a popular actor for a big film, but that didn’t work out. After getting to know that I worked in Oh Baby!, he pitched the story of Zombie Reddy. I have identified with the character and joined hands with him. I would consider Zombie Reddy as my launchpad because it’s my first release in a lead role. Initially, Prasanth wanted to make it as a serious film, but as the lockdown happened, he worked again on the script and infused a lot of comedy to keep it gripping and entertaining. Contrary to the popular belief, Zombie Reddy is a hilarious action entertainer with a sharp satirical tone. I am sure the film will appease all sections.
 
You seem to have performed a lot of action sequences...

The action sequences are neither forced nor over-the-top. They have a purpose and are dealt in a sensible manner. Besides me, several other characters in the film too involve in action without giving any scope for exaggeration.
 
What is the inspiration for Zombie Reddy?

The film is set in Kurnool and it’s all about how an eccentric scientist, in an attempt to develop a vaccine for Coronavirus, creates a zombie virus, which in turn creates mayhem in the region. How the locals fight it and save the world from this new virus forms the crux of Zombie Reddy. Except for the Zombies part, our film has no similarities with any other film whatsoever.
 
How was it playing a solo hero for the first time? 

It’s both exciting and nervous. I am longing to watch how our audience receives our film. I have worked hard to make the role look convincing and have pinned all my hopes on the film. I want to score well in my first outing as a solo lead. I have just begun my journey and I don’t want to leave any genre untouched. 

How was it working with Prasanth Varma...

We got along really well. He knows how to play on my strengths and extracted the best of me. He didn’t tweak the script to present me in a larger-than-life avatar and stayed true to the story. He did everything in the larger interest of the film and gave us a memorable output.
 
What’s next?

I am doing a scientific love story that has the story written by Prasanth Varma. I am also working on a romantic thriller titled Ishq. While the former is almost complete, we will commence the shooting of Ishq shortly.