Softie hunk set for a second innings

Bulging biceps, ripping muscles, yet he is not your next door hunk. Despite all the brawn, he still looks a softie. And those brooding looks can make the girls' hearts go flutter. With all those characteristics, he could be mistaken for a model setting the ramp on fire. But, the fire is elsewhere - in his belly. And the burning desire is to make Telugu film-goers accept a clean shaven guy as a hero unlike the moustache-sporting screen gods. Meet Venkat, the Vijayawada-born and Mumbai-brought-up Telugu guy, who shot into fame with `Seetharamula Kalyanam Chootamu Rarandi'. That recognition might not have translated into success he wished. But, he is confident of making it big on the Telugu silver screen. "All I need is a big hit," he reveals in a chat with R. Ravikanth Reddy.

THE GLINT in his eyes says it all. It reflects the passion he has for films and showcases the desire to get into the big league. "This is the place where I belong. I love the arc lights," affirms Venkat. However, he rues that he is woefully short on luck.

He was introduced to the Telugu screen by actor-producer, Akkineni Nagarjuna, with `Seetharamula Kalyanam Chootham Rarandi'. "I was lucky to get such a great break. Everything went well till my first movie. Success, recognition and fame were instant but after that it wasn't a cakewalk", says Venkat, who firmly believes in destiny.

It got him a flood of offers with stories weaved around love and he accepted them straightaway. But, most of these projects never took off with the industry facing a slump. His second film, `Velugu Needalu,' -- a multi-starrer -- was a big flop. "I was lost in the deluge of artistes in the film." And the `mistake' cost him dearly. "I feel people wanted to see me in those youthful roles", he wonders.

While he put all his hopes on `Prema Kosam' -- he was cast along with Vineet in the film -- it failed too. This time, it was lack of proper promotion. "People who saw it recently on a television channel told me how did they miss such a well-made movie", he sighs. Then came Chiranjeevi-starrer, `Annayya,' in which he played the Megastar's younger brother. "If my first film got me recognition, `Annayya' made the masses accept me", he points out. It was a dream come true for him to work with Chiru. "As a kid all I hoped was to get photographed with him and here was I acting with him," he recalls fondly.

It followed with Balakrishna's `Bhale Vaadivi Baasu' where he played a small, but significant role. But Venkat is pinning hopes on his next venture, `Anandam', produced by Ramoji Rao. There is another one slated for release, `Akarshana,' which he says is an out-and-out thriller that "will change the definition of thrillers in Telugu filmdom."

But, how did it all begin? Coming from a well-to-do family settled in Mumbai, Venkat always wanted to be a model. He won the `Best model' contest in one of the inter-college festivals. When his father launched a new brand of shirts, he was chosen as the model to promote it. "Purely on merit", he warns before one jumps to conclusions.

And those photographs published in local magazines caught the eye of Nagarjuna, who was scouting for a fresh face for his film. "Believe me, I never knew what acting was", he says attributing his performance in the film to its director, Y.V.S. Choudhary. "But looking back, I think I could have done better", he says. "I am more matured as an actor and my physique has improved." Cricket and music are his other passions. He loves the elegant cover drives of Sachin as much as the silken voice of Lata Mangeshkar.

His future? "I have to elevate myself as an artiste with every film". But he wants to introduce the `physique culture' to Telugu movies. And he is not the one who would give it up easily. Well, for a guy who has been the opening batsman in his school and college cricket teams, he doesn't want to commit the mistakes he had done in his first innings. Don't we know the openers are always tough and gritty. Once they settle, it's difficult to remove them.

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