Take things as they come in life: Venkatesh

Venkatesh has a deceptive nonchalance about him. His casual demeanour of being sporty about his films and his celebrity status belies his commitment as an actor. Those who know him will vouch for that. Never the one to get carried away with box office results or numbers, Venkatesh, fondly called Venky by fans, practises the philosophy of ‘taking things as they come in life’.

“I think that’s how we need to be for a smoother functioning of life. Just learn to accept things more gracefully; it’ll put us in a more comfortable zone and better situation to deal with,” he says with a smile, adding that he was always content with whatever he got in life.

Venkatesh in a still from Narappa

But for someone as spiritual as Venky, it was the pandemic, he says, that taught him to seek inner strength. Saying that as an individual staying strong will shape us, he adds, “The pandemic taught everyone different lessons, but the key would be to learn from our mistakes and not repeat them. Moving forward, the phenomenon for everyone would be to remain grateful for the opportunities we had.”

Further sharing his thoughts on how he believes life should move on without fuss, he points out how most of us spend so much time in life thinking about what is right and wrong. “But we never get on, and that’s where we are fundamentally going wrong. Instead, life becomes so much easier if we move on and not compare and think too much about other things,” says the actor.

The remake superstar

Venky’s upcoming film Narappa, the remake of the 2019-Tamil film Asuran, is set for release this Friday on Amazon. And the actor is up for the OTT release.
“Theatrical experience is something my fans and audiences will miss for Narappa, but as I said, we should learn to accept things depending on the situation and move on,” states Venky.

Narappa, according to the actor, has been his most challenging role so far. Adding that he had to undergo a lot of gruelling during the making, he clarifies that the film doesn’t involve high-octane action sequences. “But I was surprised I was gasping for breath and not ready for the next shot, which was then I realised that I was so emotionally charged  and involved that I literally lived my role,” says the actor, adding that he’s tried to retain the soul of the rustic drama.

However, one wonders what about remakes fascinate the actor, not accounting for the fact that he’s had several successes in the past with remakes. Apart from the fact that the film is already successful in a certain language, he says he is naturally inclined towards taking on such roles.

“If you look at some of the films I remade in the past like Sundarakanda, Chanti, Chinarayudu, Abbaigaru, etc., they all were super hits. I am always open to playing interesting roles, doesn’t matter if even if I had to remake a film I look at my compatibility towards the role, and whether the script is engaging enough,” explains the Drushyam 2 star, reflecting on his past successes.

Any remake is bound to attract comparisons with the original, and while Venky is aware of the challenges of a remake because it needs to live up to expectations, he admits that he’s always game to take them in the right spirit.