Venkatesh Mummudi was seen in 'Bimbisara' as the traitorous Bhageera. He played Lord Krishna's misguided devotee Abhira in 'Karthikeya 2'. Being part of two back-to-back hits is exciting for any budding artist.

In this exclusive chat with IndiaGlitz, Venkatesh talks about his background, how the films happened to him, and more.

Excerpts:

I am a businessman. I have always been a movie buff. Becoming an actor has been my childhood wish. I started my own business in Hyderabad after moving from Rajahmundry. While running the business, I kept trying for film opportunities.

I was screen-tested for 'Legend' and got selected immediately. I played Jagapathi Babu's son in that movie. Boyapati Srinu garu okaying me gave me the confidence that I have worth in me to sustain myself in the industry. I was seen as Khan in 'Goodachari'. Adivi Sesh is someone I have always looked up to. He has made it this far without film background. I stay in touch with him on a regular basis. He recently messaged me that he is very happy for me after 'Bimbisara' and 'Karthikeya 2'.

'Bimbisara' came to me just a few days before my part of the shoot was to start. Kalyanram garu himself offered me the role. I was confident that the film would become a hit right from the start. The time-travel genre had been researched for a long time. It was stunning to see Kalyanram garu in the get-up of Bimbisara and Devadutta.

I like to play negative roles. Movies like '300' (English) have always excited me. Negative characters offer a great potential to emote.