June 11, 2012 Y. Sunitha Chowdhary
"Don't know if it's true but a lot of people say that I look more like a Telugu cinema hero," says Tamil actor Rahul Ravindran who is making his debut as one of the heroes in the up and coming release Andala Rakshasi. A commerce graduate and armed with a masters in business administration, Rahul worked in Mumbai for a while before modeling happened. He was spotted in a restaurant and was asked to work for a commercial to be shot by Dibakar Banerjee, whose Khosla Ka Ghosla was about to release.
Rahul returned to Chennai having decided to become an assistant director but was instead chosen as an actor for Moscowin Kavery and after that there was no looking back. The young man from Chennai is enthused about the Telugu film's prospects and recollects an interesting scene he shot for on a parapet of a bridge.
"I don't smoke in real life but the character Gautam that I play here does. He's a heavy smoker, he lets his steam out that way. I had to stand on a bridge and light up a cigarette. After that, most people said I look like a professional smoker."
The actor reveals Andala Rakshasi is a love triangle and thematically represents the sun, moon and the earth. Earth is known for it's tolerance, moon absorbs everything and silently glows and more controlled. The sun is ofcourse always ablaze.
"I'm Gautam and it means moon-faced, he is a very good listener and makes a fantastic company, reflects other's moods. Director Hanu Raghavapudi is very meticulous, if something is not right, he will immediately spot it and makes you do it right from the scratch. He is a name that you will hear for the next few decades.
By the way I have even dubbed for the film. I can't afford to worry about the film, I would rather worry about the job I did on the sets. Whether I will make a splash or whether I will grow slowly after the release, the outcome will decide."
"My first film was a bubble gum romance, in my second I played someone with cerebral palsy and in the third I was a mechanic. Everyone says Telugu films are colorful and glamorous but I feel Telugu industry is by far the best in packaging and presenting. My director says I fit the role of Gautam to the T, that I have some innocence that comes through though I know how to handle myself. There is lot of honesty and positivity and lots of love the character gives out which I relate and would certainly like to be," says the actor appearing and sounding completely engulfed by the character he's playing.
But what about being in triangular love situation? "I can't remember being in one and I hope I don't have to go through being in a love triangle in life," he guffaws.
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