Naga Chaitanya carved a special place for himself in Tollywood with the kind of films he chose. The actor is now ready with a new role, that of the brand ambassador of one of the Celebrity Badminton League team — Tollywood Thunders. “Badminton is something I am very close to and it is the first time I have got an opportunity to be associated with a sports league. I am really excited! I play the sport often, but not as good as a professional. My game is very casual, just like how we play with friends,” he says.
Recently, P.V. Sindhu won the silver medal at the Rio Olympics and made the whole country proud. “Indeed, she has put Indian athletes on the global map. It has worked to our advantage for the CBL, as people are more familiar with badminton, and the curiosity has definitely gone up. She is someone India should be proud of,” says Chaitanya. About the latest trend where everyone is either taking up a sport or is turning towards working out in a gym to stay fit, he says, “If you like working out in a gym over playing a sport, then you should go ahead and do it. It is about what your mind has a liking towards. Going to a gym or playing a sport should not be mechanical, there should be an emotional attachment to it.”
The recent video promo of Evare song from Premam sparked a debate on whether Naga Chaitanya and Shruti Haasan recreate the same magic that Nivin Pauly and Sai Pallavi managed to do in the original. Elaborating on it, Chaitanya asserts, “I expected comparisons to crop up since the first day as Premam is a fantastic film which showcased Nivin’s excellent performance. After watching the Malayalam version, I was really inspired and I look up to him. I am not remaking Premam to top him, or better the original. The main idea is to pick the soul of the film and make a Telugu film to present it to the Telugu audiences.”
It was Gautham Menon who gave Chaitanya a break with Ye Maaya Chesave. The actor has collaborated with the director for the second time for Sahasam Swasaga Sagipo. “Gautham sir is my mentor and I’ve learnt a lot from him. Whenever I spend time with him, I keep growing as an actor. I share a great rapport and am looking forward to working with him,” he adds. So, is Naga Chaitanya considering entering Kollywood too? “The Tamil industry has a huge market and already has many talented actors. So, making a mark in Kollywood is not easy. I will have to choose the right script and do it the right way,” adds Chaitanya.
