I am ready Kick 3

I am ready Kick 3
By: Haricharan

Ravi Teja has no qualms in admitting that he plays to the gallery. Always. The least controversial Telugu actor opens up on a host of subjects...


Telugu star Ravi Teja, who is basking in the success of recently released film Kick 2, on his journey as one of the most entertaining actors in the industry, why the masses love him and how he has successfully stayed away from controversies.


You’ve earned the title Mass Maharaja over the years as an actor. You really consider yourself the king of the masses?
It’s a title audiences have pinned on me. I really don’t have to ask myself if I deserve it or not because then I’d be offending them. I’ve gladly accepted their love in the form of this sobriquet. My priority as an actor has always been to entertain people as much as possible. That’s exactly why most of my films are high on comedy. To answer your question, I think, it’s probably because my films have appealed to the masses more I’ve earned this title.


Is it possible that the masses love you because of your humble beginning as a struggling actor and the subsequent rise to a celebrated star?
It’s quite possible. I’ve been in the industry for over two decades and I’ll be honest, it wasn’t a cakewalk to reach where I’m today. If people love me because I worked really hard to cement my position, nothing more can make me happy. But when you’re a star and have a large fan base, it’s your films that decide your worth as an actor. My journey could’ve been inspiring for a few and I’m glad, but it’s the films that’ll eventually prove if people love me or not. Why do you think a star’s market value, despite being loved by horde of people, takes a beating after a slew of bad films? Everything is linked to economics today.

Weren’t stars like NTR and ANR loved even outside their lives as actors?
They were legends. Besides acting, they were instrumental in changing the lives of so many people around them. More than love, they’re respected because they were the forefathers of Telugu industry and are still worshipped because of their good deeds. It’d be unfair to even compare their lives with anyone else’s because it’d make it look insignificant.


Despite being a star, your life has been devoid of controversies…
I’ve tried to be as disciplined as possible. When I’m not shooting, I’m mostly at home with my family. My kids are growing up and it’s important I spend as much as time as possible with them. Work and family keep me busy. So I really don’t have time to socialise. When I’m hardly spotted outside, where’s the room for controversy? I also maintain a very cordial relationship with all my co-stars.

You’ve also shunned your family from the limelight…
I’ve only shunned them because my children are growing up and at this stage, I think nothing more is important than education to them. I don’t let my stardom get to their heads. But like everybody else, my children (son and daughter) watch my films and share their opinion. I’m not a strict father and I don’t even mind if they grow up and decide to follow in my footsteps. I’ll give them the freedom to choose what they want to do with their lives. My wife is so busy looking after the children and the family; she seldom finds time to do anything else.


Let’s talk about Kick 2. It was promoted as not a sequel to Kick...
We ended Kick with the thought of making a sequel, but we never got back to it. Then our writer Vakkantham Vamsi pitched this idea and we felt it could be linked to the Kick franchise. Kick 2 is not a sequel, but an extension of the franchise. These are two different stories with characters that are poles apart. I play the son of the lead character from Kick, and unlike my urge to get a kick out of everything I do, this time I’m after comfort.


If it isn’t a sequel, why was the film titled Kick 2?
A sequel is the continuation of its predecessor mostly featuring the same characters. Kick 2 is no way connected to Kick, except for the fact that I star in both these films and they are directed by Surender Reddy. The reason we chose the title Kick 2 is due to the high recall value associated with . Thanks to the phenomenal success of the first part, whenever audiences hear the word Kick, they automatically relate it with high level entertainment and we wanted to cash in on it.

The franchise culture is an alien concept in Telugu industry. Do you think Kick 2 will popularise it?
I’m confident that Baahubali 2 and Kick 2 will pave way to more franchise-based films. This is just the beginning of the trend. The success of these films will give filmmakers the confidence to explore the option of writing stories that could be turned into a franchise. When Baahubali was announced to be released in two parts, people assumed that such an attempt won’t work but it proved everybody wrong.

A franchise is usually extended when the first part is successful. Was that the case with Kick 2 as well?
The success of films in a franchise rests on the shoulders of a good writer. It’s a misconception that you make a second film in a franchise because the first one was successful. A writer has a very important role in building a successful franchise, and one of the reasons why Kick 2 even happened is because of our writer Vamsi. It took us nearly three years to develop the story idea into a full-length script.

Will the franchise continue with Kick 3?
We hope to. Kick 2 ends with a slide that we will return with Kick 3. But as I said before, everything boils down to good story. We can’t make the third part just because we’ve already announced it. If our writer comes up with a solid story, I’d always be ready for Kick 3.

Is it because of your popularity among the masses, you avoid experimenting occasionally?
It’s not that I haven’t experimented. But whenever I did, the result has not been satisfying. I’d rather concentrate on doing films that entertain scores of people. I’ve got to admit that they are responsible for my successful career. It’s safer to do films that work. I still get offers to do some offbeat projects but I worry if they will work or not.

Two of Bollywood’s biggest hits — Rowdy Rathore and Kick — are the remakes of your films. You still haven’t considered entering Bollywood
It’s not that I haven’t been offered Hindi projects. I was even offered a film with Amitabh Bachchan, but I’m so happy working in Telugu filmdom that Bollywood never really fascinated me. When work is keeping me busy here, I really don’t see the need to run after Hindi projects. I’ve also realised Hindi projects take time to be completed, unlike most Telugu films that are wrapped up quickly. I recently did a cameo in a Kannada film. I don’t mind doing such brief roles in Bollywood, provided an interesting project comes my way.

You announced the Telugu remake of Special 26 last year. Since then, there’s been no update.
The discussion regarding Special 26 remake has been happening for a year now. I plan to co-produce it and Harish Shankar will direct, but it will take a while before the project materialises. I want to concentrate on wrapping up Bengal Tiger first. There are two more projects in the offing.



Do you believe the success of Baahubali has added pressure on filmmakers and stars? We shouldn’t compete with Baahubali or any film for that matter. We need to learn from its success that films too can generate a lot of revenue. We need to understand that the success of Rajamouli’s Baahubali and even Mahesh Babu’s Srimanthudu will only benefit the industry in the long run. As an actor, I’ve never felt pressurised by these records. I only wish my films do well and the producer recovers his investment. And if they don’t, I don’t let it bother me because you really can’t predict the fate of any film nowadays...
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