After a two-year break from films, Ravi Teja will now be seen in Raja The Great, which is hitting theatres on October 18. The actor will be seen playing a visually impaired character the first such role in his career! He says, “When director Anil Ravipudi told me that it’s a blind character, my first thought was how could it be possible. But once he narrated the entire story to me, I was excited.”
The actor says that whenever he takes up a new role, he uses the power of observation to prepare for it. “For this role too, I visited a few blind schools and observed people there. But it was Anil’s conviction, which helped me in doing this role smoothly,” says Ravi Teja, adding, “Recently I visited a blind school and I was shocked to see the way the students were functioning there. Even we can’t work like that. After seeing that, I feel proud that I am doing this film.”
Accepting that the trailer of his latest film bears close resemblance to the English film Blind Fury, he says, “That’s because of the sword fight in the trailer! The protagonist in the English film is a trained fighter and is blind; in my film too, my role is that of a blind fighter. But both the films are different.”
Talking about his break from films, the Kick star says that it was not planned. “No good script came my way. So the gap was there and I feel that it was good for me because I like travelling and road trips. I used this time to travel a lot. I went to Europe and did many road trips and I like the food there. So I enjoyed the break and it also helped me become fitter,” he says. Ravi further stated that during this time, he was aware about the kinds of stories written about him in the media. He says, “After reading those stories, I used to laugh because I knew what was the truth.”
The actor also states that he doesn’t take people seriously when they talk about his break and the success of his films behind his back. “If my film is good, it will automatically generate money. I concentrate on my film.”
In the last two years, when Ravi was not working, he reveals that he watched many movies and added to his knowledge about films.
“I watched films in all languages and almost forced some writers to watch them too,” says Ravi, who believes that this activity has also helped him understand how cinema evolved around the world.
When asked whether he also watched the films of his counterparts, the actor, replied, “Yes, I did and whenever I liked someone’s film, I would call them and convey my wishes.” He adds, “I am not a person who goes to parties and mingles with many friends. If I get time, I watch movies and stay at home. I have limited friends in the industry.” Ravi then goes on to say that he doesn’t share or talk much with anyone. “No complaints and no regrets in my career and I am happy till now,” he says.
When the topics of drugs and his late brother are mentioned, Ravi says, “We can’t stop some things; it is fate. But what hurts more is that people write so many untrue stories about me; it hurts a lot.” Notably, when the actor’s brother passed away in an accident earlier this year, he did not attend his funeral. Does that actor have something to say in the matter? “I don’t want to reveal a few things with which I am not comfortable. There are certain traditions to be followed in our community when such incidents happen and I follow them. So that’s why I couldn’t attend my brother’s funeral and I can’t explain the reason to each and everyone. My parents suddenly collapsed at the time and they were unable to perform the last rights, so my uncle had to do it,” shares Ravi, adding, “It’s all over and now is not right time to talk about it.”
Interestingly, the actor’s son is also making his debut in Raja The Great. “Actually, I was against it as I didn’t want him to act at such a young age. But director Anil insisted and I agreed because he is playing my character’s childhood part in the film,” reveals Ravi. But surprisingly, the actor wasn’t present on the sets when his son’s scenes were being filmed. “I saw only a couple of scenes,” says the actor.
