Exclusive interview : Sudeep talks about his fondness for NTR Jr, Rajamouli and RGV

In a free-wheeling chat with Hyderabad Times, actor Sudeep speaks about his love for cinema, his friendship with NTR Jr being a 'wonderful' cook and more
His performances in films like Rann and Eega have not just catapulted him to national reckoning but also earned him the infamous tag of being a tad too moody and intense. But every time he���s in Hyderabad, one gets to see a very different Sudeep.In an exclusive chat, the usually reticent Kannada superstar opens up about what makes him so affable in Hyderabad, his fondness for Telugu stars, and how he wins over his T-town buddies with his skills in the kitchen. Excerpts from an interview:
Do you visit Hyderabad often?
It���s a beautiful place to work in. Besides, I have loads of friends here. Manchu Manoj is like a kid brother to me. Every time I come to shoot in Hyderabad, lunch comes from Mohan Babu���s house. I am very close to NTR Jr as well. His mother is from Udupi and we end up speaking in Kannada and that ticks him off (laughs). I love that guy. I think it was at a programme in Bangalore that we met for the first time. We didn���t speak much that day. Few months later, when he came to know that I was in Hyderabad, we met over dinner to discuss a script and since then, we have been very good friends. Behind that toughness, NTR Jr is very child-like. If he likes you, he gets very talkative; otherwise, he has a stern look on his face. He has also been through a lot and the way he has come up in life is admirable. His mother is a wonderful person and I am sure that her blessings will protect him wherever he goes. Apart from NTR, I���m quite close to Ravi Teja, Nani, Tarun and a lot of other youngsters. Everyone is a star, but it feels really nice when they go out of their way to make you feel at home.
Are you a social person?
When I inform my friends in Hyderabad that I am in town, around 20 people will immediately come over to meet me and enjoy a good dinner. I am a wonderful cook and I like hanging out with people. It���s really difficult to make such good friends. Thanks to films by RGV and Rajamouli, apart from a few other Kannada movies which these actors might have seen, they respect me a lot. I���ll always be grateful to RGV and Rajamouli for that.
After acting in Eega and Action 3D, you must have got plenty of offers in Telugu. But you haven���t signed anything so far, apart from Baahubali.
I���m a very moody guy and I need good scripts which excite me. I���m not here to play lead roles or one with grey shades just for the heck of it. I just want to play good characters. I think right now, a lot of people want to work with me, but they don���t know what to do with me (laughs). When I was acting in Eega, everyone wrote that I was the villain. However, after the film released, their perception changed. It���s a wonderful feeling to be part of films in Telugu and Tamil. Thanks to Eega, people respect me as actor. That abundance of respect is what pulls me towards cinema.
You seem to be quite fond of S S Rajamouli���
He���s a child at heart. Cinema is like a toy to him and I still remember how eager Rajamouli was to start shooting Baahubali. One day, he narrated the script of Baahubali and I was wondering what he wanted me to do. Then he said, ���It���s a small role and I agree that it���s not a role that you should be doing. Neither is it something where you act and I improvise. Probably I just want you to be part of my film.��� That���s the best part about him. There���s so much to learn from his passion towards cinema and family. We all either get carried with our success or failure, but every time I see Rajamouli, I learn how to be grounded. I���ve never met such a wonderful family like Rajamouli���s and you feel like doing anything for them.
Your temper attracts a lot of attention, be it on the sets or on a cricket ground.
It���s not really about my temper and I think every human being is prone to it. It won���t come out until you ask for it. Every person has different sides to his personality. Some people might smile and let go. I���m not that sort of person. You don���t have to carry your image everywhere. For me, cinema comes first. And what you call ���temper��� on the cricket field, it���s just aggression and intensity. Why would I have so many friends and get so much love from people if I had such bad temper?
You are an actor, director and producer. How difficult is it to juggle between the three roles?
It���s not difficult as long as you enjoy it. I enjoy making cinema. It���s a little tedious to juggle between three roles, but it���s also a sign that you are doing well. I must admit that I love shooting in Hyderabad. The love for cinema which people have here is tremendous. If you don���t disturb people, getting permission to shoot in various locations is quite easy. Besides, the city has plenty of studios and other facilities for filmmakers.
So, what���s next?
I have signed a film in K S Ravikumar���s direction. However, that has been pushed to sometime later this year, since K S Ravikumar is going to do a film with Rajinikanth. I might do a fantasy film in Tamil with Vijay and I���m in talks with a few other people.
You mentioned that you are a wonderful cook. What���s your specialty?
I learnt everything by trial and error and now, I can say that I am good at everything. I can cook 30 different dishes with eggs. In fact, I���m my daughter���s favourite cook. Whenever she says, ���Dad, you make the best cheese omlette in the world���, it makes my day.