Venkatesh Daggubati: Once people own you as an actor, they cheer wholeheartedly

Venkatesh Daggubati discusses his new film Sankranthiki Vasthunam, career reflections, and spiritual beliefs in a candid interview.

The mood at Venkatesh Daggubati’s office in Ramanaidu Studios, Hyderabad, is cheery. In the course of this interview for his new Telugu film Sankranthiki Vasthunam (we are arriving during Sankranti), the actor says, “I value peace of mind and tell those around me to also try and have a positive outlook.” Amid promoting this film, he has also been working on season two of the Hindi-Telugu Netflix web series Rana Naidu, co-starring his nephew, Rana Daggubati.

Post Sankranthiki Vasthunam and Rana Naidu season two, Venkatesh has not finalised his next film. “I am not a creator. So I wait in the hope that a director will approach me with an interesting script. It will happen in a matter of time.” He has been acting for 38 years and reflects, “I have learnt the importance of patience, all the more at this stage of my career. I gracefully accept that I have had a good innings so far and wait for the next move.”

Sankranthiki Vashunam, which he describes as an entertainer laced with humour, is his third collaboration with director Anil Ravipudi. Venkatesh first met Anil on the sets of Masala (2013), for which he was the screenwriter. “Rana and my brother (producer Sureshbabu) also knew Anil back then; we could sense the spark in his writing. Anil was simultaneously working on Pataas (his directorial debut). We knew Pataas was a potential winner and were glad when it turned out to be one.”

Venkatesh and Anil worked together for the comedy films F2 (Fun and Frustration) and F3. Teaming up again for Sankranthiki Vasthunam, they decided to keep things subtle. “The loud comedy worked for F2 and F3 since the characters and situations were written that way. In Sankranthiki Vasthunam, we wanted to keep things simple and still make people laugh. The story has a sub plot of crime, which gives the film a fresh tonality. We go all-out crazy in the climax.”

This story of the film that stars Aishwarya Rajesh and Meenakshi Chaudhary as the female leads unravels during Sankranthi festivities. Venkatesh discloses that like in his other recent films, the narrative addresses the age gap between him and the female leads. He adds that the writing also ensures that the comedy scenes in which his character grapples with the possessiveness of his wife when his ex resurfaces do not end up as awkward or inappropriate. “There are instances where I say, ‘I hope I am not hurting anyone’, just to ensure that things are smooth.” 

Sankranthiki Vasthunam was filmed in about 70 days and Venkatesh credits Anil’s disciplined working style. “He is hard working and his friendly approach keeps the sets lively. He is efficient and does not get distracted.” Venkatesh and Anil had several discussions as the script evolved. “We were on the same page. We worked towards fixing the minor flaws that we identified. In filmmaking, we may not get it 100% right; perfection involves time. We go ahead if we are convinced that we are getting more than 70% (of the script) right.”

Venkatesh went all out to promote the film, accompanied by Anil, Meenakshi, Aishwarya and producer Dil Raju, dancing to the songs. “I enjoyed dancing to the songs (music by Bheems Cecerolio). It is tough to gauge how much promotional push is required for a film. Since this a festive entertainer, we stepped up the promotions. I doubt if this strategy would work for an intense film.” Venkatesh has also sung a special pongal song in the film, eight years after he sung ‘Jhingidi jhingidi’ in Guru (2017).