I don't forsee another long break in the next four years: Nani

Two years ago, Nani was tipped to become the next big star.With a slew of exciting films in Telugu and Tamil ���like Eega,Yeto Vellipoyindi Manasu,Paisa, Aaha Kalyanam and Jenda Pai Kapiraju ��� that kept him occupied through 2012 and 2013, it seemed like he couldn���t take a wrong step. Cut to early 2014 ��� his career took an unexpected turn. Both Paisa and Aaha Kalyanam failed at the box-office and the release of Jenda Pai Kapiraju got postponed indefinitely.He went missing in action for almost six months, and the word is that, things just aren���t working out for him. But Nani doesn���t quite think so.
THIS IS THE BEST PHASE...
���Contrary to what people think, this is the best phase of my career,��� says Nani with a smile.Prod him further, and he says, ���It���s true that my recent films haven���t worked, but no one said they were horrible either, and there wasn���t a single film release in 2013.Thanks to these so-called-failures,my approach towards work has changed. Till recently, I just wanted to do good cinema and would wait for my films to release, before taking up another one. You���ll see a new Nani from here onwards and I don���t foresee another long break for at least the next four years.���
I���LL STICK TO TELUGU CINEMA���
After debuting in Tamil with Veppam,Nani acted in Tamil remake of Band Baaja Baaraat (Aaha Kalyanam), besides starring in Telugu versions of bilinguals directed by critically acclaimed Tamil filmmakers like Gautham Menon and Samuthirakani. It seemed like he was consciously trying to juggle between both industries, but he���s had a change of heart.
���I took up Tamil films because I���m a big fan of Mani Ratnam. I thought maybe he���ll notice me if I act in a Tamil film (laughs). At the same time, I didn���t want to disappoint Telugu audiences, who have supported me right from the beginning. After watching the Telugu trailers of Aaha Kalyanam, people confessed feeling offended because of the improper lip-sync, despite having a Telugu-speaking actor like me. I don���t want to be caught in that situation again. Besides, I can concentrate on the nuances, be it acting or dialogues better in Telugu,��� Nani reveals.
His long cherished dream of meeting Mani Ratnam did come true at Suhasini Mani Ratnam���s birthday party. ���I was completely awestruck. Films like Anjali, Dalapathi, Roja flashed in before my eyes. I can���t even remember what we spoke about. I think I zoned out,��� he says.
MAKING A STRONG IMPRESSION���
In an industry where success is everything, rumours about an actor���s decline are quick to surface especially after a couple of flops. Not allowing failure to get the better of him, Nani remains an eternal optimist. ���I like to believe that people still have a soft corner for me. Many could be talking about how everything is going wrong in my case, but they wouldn���t be doing that if they don���t care about me. I���ve always got plenty of support from industry and the audience alike. My job is to do justice to their faith in me. My biggest fear is that I might end up doing a film which I might regret at a later point of time. Luckily, it hasn���t happened so far. There have been ups and downs, but no regrets. Somewhere, I think I���ve made a strong impression that I can act well,��� he avers.
OUT OF COMFORT ZONE...
Well, a lot of filmmakers still want to work with Nani. ���I listened to nearly 85 scripts in three months after two of my films flopped in February. It was absolutely maddening,��� Nani exclaims adding, ���I���m glad that so many directors are keen to work with me. Interestingly, every time I tried to entertain the audience, they have liked me. Be it Pilla Zamindar or Ala Modalaindi, it���s the fun quotient which hooked the audience. I���ve signed three films as of now, and all of them are exactly what I want to do at this point of my career.���
Admittedly, he always looks for a challenging factor when he listens to a script. ���When someone tells me I would be perfect for a certain role, I know that it���s within my comfort zone. And there���s hardly any fun there. When I heard the story of Jenda Pai Kapiraju, I couldn���t believe that Samuthirakani had envisioned such contrasting character for me. You should never let go of directors and their scripts which push you out of your comfort zone, because you rarely get such a chance,��� he signs off.