Ram Charan’s new release Dhruva may not have fared as well as expected, but its leading man is not crying over spilt milk. On the contrary, he feels that the film and his team did well during these times of recession. “We knew the financial situation was unfavourable prior to our film’s release. But we had no choice except to release on time. We were prepared for a meltdown and expected at least 30 percent of the audience to stay away,” he says.
“All of us worked towards economizing on the budget without compromising on the product. Considering everything, I am happy with the outcome,” adds Ram Charan.
On why he chose to do a remake of a Tamil film, Ram Charan shoots back gently, “Better a decent remake than a bad original. Content is king now. It doesn’t matter what the source of the content is or where it’s coming from, as long as it is workable. We liked the Tamil original and decided to do it in Telugu with some changes.”
With Arvind Swamy playing a powerful villain in the film, did Ram Charan ever feel he was giving the co-actor too much footage? Ram Charan laughs off the assumption and says, “Content dictates my decision to do a film. I have gone wrong in my selection of roles recently. It is no longer important for me to be seen in every frame as I know my fans want me on the screen. But hero-worship should not be allowed to corrupt the plot and narrative of a film. My fans should go to see a good film, not just me. Otherwise they won’t remain my fans for too long.”
Ram says he couldn’t consider a postponement of Dhruva because his father’s film is also coming up for release. “What choice did I have? My father’s film Khaidi No. 150 is all set for a Pongal (January 13) release. I couldn’t push my own release to clash with his film as it is a very important film. It is my father’s 150th release and we can’t afford to make even one false move. I am not just his son, but also the producer of this film,” he says.
Fans that are eager to see the father and son together need not go home disappointed. “We have done a song together and I have a small cameo too. Just a token presence for sentimental reasons. My father’s film doesn’t require my presence,” says the doting son.
Ram Charan moves to his next project in February. “Right now, my focus is on the release of my father’s film. We’re planning a much bigger release for Khaidi No. 150 than Dhruva. Naturally, I can only breathe easy after Pongal. I will start my next film after my father’s film is released,” he says.
Ram Charan has been married to Upasana Kamineni for four years now. When asked the recipe for marital happiness, the actor says, “I wish I knew. I am still trying to discover it!”
Is fatherhood on the cards anytime soon? “I am a child myself!” protests the 31-year old matinee idol. “Give us more time to enjoy each other’s company. But yes, fatherhood will happen soon,” he says.
