Baddies from Kollywood are a rage in T-town

What do films like Bruce Lee, Srimanthudu, Shankarabharanam and the upcoming Sarainodu have in common? Well, the answer is simple ��� a villain from Tamil Nadu. There was a time when Tollywood imported baddies from Bollywood, but it seems like the trend has changed as the influx of bad boys from down South indicates.
The most prolific of the lot is Sampath, who forayed into Telugu cinema in 2011 with Panjaa and was later seen in 2013���s Dammu.However, it was his performance in Mirchi that made him the villain in demand. The fact that he had five big releases in 2015 alone indicates as much. He has a couple of big ticket projects lined up in 2016 as well ��� Soggade Chinni Nayana and Nani���s upcoming film Jai Balayya. The actor, who is now fluent in Telugu and dubs for himself, seems to be enjoying himself in Tollywood.
���It has been over 15 years since I began my journey in films. Though I entered Tollywood a little later, the reception has been overwhelming. I am liking it here and I am sure I will be around for a long time,��� exudes Sampath, reflecting on his rise to fame in T-town. Talking of the kind of work he is getting, he says, ���There���s so much mystery around these characters. Yes, monotony could set in. But in every film, the way a villain is killed is different! I was once shooting for the climax sequences of three different films ���in one of them, I get beaten up by the hero, in the next, I get killed and in the third, I run for my life.��� (laughs).
Following in the footsteps of Sampath several new actors from Kollywood have ventured into Tollywood. The latest entrant is Bobby Simhaa, who will be seen in Sundeep Kishan���s next, the Telugu remake of Neram. Then there is Aadi Pinisetty, the Telugu lad from the Tamil speaking state who���s touted to play an interesting role in Allu Arjun���s Sarainodu. Aravind Swamy is set to play the villain in Ram Charan���s next. Arun Vijay, son of veteran actor Vijayakumar, who is a well-known name in the Tamil film industry, recently made a splash playing the baddie in Bruce Lee.
So, what is it about these guys that lures Telugu filmmakers into casting them? While it is true that their South Indian looks are very relatable, the other draw is that they bring in some ���South Indian flair��� when playing ���local��� characters. ���I think it could be the fact that the language is easier for us to grasp. I am a Malayali from Coimbatore and have grown up in Tamil Nadu watching people like Raghuvaran, who acted across industries. I think the familiarity with both languages makes Telugu easy. In fact, I have dubbed for myself in almost all my films and now this industry is home,��� shares Harish Uthaman, who appeared in Jil and Srimanthudu, and is also in talks for another big budget film.
interestingly, most of these actors have already made a mark for themselves in another industry and are here to just explore a new arena, as Arun Vijay notes. ���When I signed Bruce Lee, it was just my interest to test new waters. I was happy with the way my role was etched. Whatever the film's result, I have no regrets that I chose to be a part of it. I have an established career in Tamil cinema and I���d love to do more Telugu films. But I think I want to be cautious about the roles I choose. I think as an actor, I���d love to expand my market and language is no barrier in those lines. And that���s how Bruce Lee happened. More films will happen too.���
If the baddies from the North were menacing, these new crop of boys are taking ruthlessness to another level. This trend may not be completely new but it has totally caught up with our filmmakers who are looking at these men as the go-to options. And the Telugu cine-goer isn���t complaining.