Interview with Sriram

Thursday, April 22, 2004

The career of Sriram is strange, as it is fascinating. Born in Andhra Pardesh (Tirupati), he found his family settle in Tamil Nadu where he had his education. Later he made his debut in films there itself (under the name Srikanth). But destiny, which conjures up unlikely things, saw to that he was back in Tollywood. His first film in Tamil "Roja Kootam" was dubbed in Telugu as "Roja Poovulu" was a runaway hit. And soon he was in the thick of it Tollywood as an up and coming star.

How is it working in Tollywood?

Obviously it feels great. After all I was born here in Andhra Pardesh. There is not much difference between here and there. There is much more extravagance in Telugu and there is much more sincerity in the audience who like spicy and pacy
films. They love sheer entertainment.

How did you come to Telugu after making your debut in Tamil?

It was mere chance. Call it destiny. When my first film in Tamil was remade here, I was not so sure. But when it became a hit, I was not convinced. I
guess I have not looked back since then.

Tell us something about Okkarikki Okkari...

I cannot forget working in the film. It was my first original Telugu film. I was lucky to get a good director like Rasool for my first film. As Rasool had
worked Ram Gopal Verma he had strong grasp of the basic techniques. The heroine Aarti Agarwal was also nice to work with. The music by Keeravani was of
course sensational. The fact that the songs of the movie cut a platinum disc (by selling over 5.5 lakhs in cassettes and CDs) tells a lot about its
popularity. The Subbulakshmi song was simply brilliant. The film itself was one of the major hits of last year. Frankly, I could not have hoped for a
better start here.

What are your forthcoming projects in Telugu?

Many of my Tamil films are being dubbed here. The films named April Madhathil (with Sneha) and Manasellam (with Trisha) are being dubbed. My another film Parthiban Kanavu is being remade with Shivaji and meera Jasmine. The fact that these films are being used here says a lot about their success. I am happy that my films are doing well.

What about your original Telugu films?

Right now I am working in a couple of Tamil films. But I have committed myself to two films in Telugu in the second half of the year.

What kind of roles you prefer?

The ones which showcase my acting talent(laughs). I like doing all-round roles which offer scope for everything --- acting, dancing and fighting.
I also look for variety. I don't like being typecast.
Though it may sound cliched, I want to do roles that pose a challenge.

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