Karthik Ratnam, who was famously seen as Venatesh's first son in 'Narappa', is returning to the big screen with 'Changure Bangaru Raja'. 'CBR', produced by Mass Maharaja Ravi Teja, is slated to hit the cinemas on September 15.
In this interview, the 'Care Of Kancharapalem' actor talks about his character Bangaru Raju in 'CBR', an out-and-out entertainer. Formerly a theatre artist, Karthik is living his dream. Doing a film under the production of Ravi Teja, whom he grew up watching on the silver screen, has been dream-like for him. Read on to know more about him and his immediate next release.
'CBR' is a wholesome family entertainer that is devoid of double-meaning comedy and vulgarity. You can happily watch it with your family this Vinayaka Chavithi. Gems that are found in the soil of a village named Duggada form the premise of the film. It's a prohibited area for villagers to enter. When it rains heavily, people stealthily rush to the area with the hope of finding gemstones. The precious stones are sold in the black market.
There are a lot of funny chases in the film. Everyone is after somebody. There are a handful of gangs that are at one another's throats.
Director Satish Varma anna worked as an associate on 'Narappa'. Since I have been doing heavy roles (in films like 'Ardha Shathabdham'), he wanted me to break out of the mold. I am fun to be with in real life. So, he felt I should be cast in a comedy movie. When Satish anna told me the story of 'CBR' was okayed by Ravi Teja garu, I congratulated him. Sensing no excitement in me, he clarified to me that he was talking about Mass Maharaja. It was unbelievable to me. I was yet to come out of this big surprise when Satish anna told me I would be the hero!
Ravi Teja garu has watched our movie. And he is extremely happy with the output.
The characters in 'CBR' are slice of life. They are not ideal types. They come with flaws and grey shades. My character is money-minded. Ravi Babu garu has a mellowed love story. But he suffers from a flaw. There is a professional killer who doesn't remember who he is supposed to kill. Satya's character will be another highlight. He shepherds buffaloes after he flunks SSC. The heroine is a corrupted constable. Some of the characters get embroiled in a crime. One incident affects three different characters in three different ways. A character has been given dubbing by Sunil garu.
There are three songs in total. There is a rap song, a song during a chase sequence, and another one in the climax.
Acting with Satya (the comedian) was not easy. He has a certain metre and nails it every single time. Working with him was a learning experience. Satya's romantic interest is like a Nibbi who daydreams about her boyfriend. Satya is vexed about the condition in his life. He wants to strike gold by wooing the daughter of an affluent person. The Satya-Nithyasri track is going to be a laugh riot.
In most of my movies previously, I was expected to be downright serious. I had to mouth my lines with a grim expression at times. Shooting for 'CBR' was a breeze, in contrast. I have worked with big names such as Suresh Productions. And I have worked with small producers as well.
I just want to be an actor. I am living my dream. I have never fancied about stardom. I come from a theatre background. I did more than 100 plays. When I was a child, I won a Nandi Award for a stage show. I started out as a child artist. 'Care Of Kancharapalem' was my first major outing. I latch on to any well-written role. I look at visibility. It took me time to adapt to cinema after having been a theatre artist for many years. A stage show plays out at a stretch and it is easy to maintain the mood. A film is made over a span of several months. It is not easy to retain the mood. The script is given to the artist in the morning sometimes. And the artist is expected to mug up the lines. Acting is nothing but reacting. It took me a lot of time to get used to the camera.
'Sri Ranga Neethulu' is up for release. Suhas and Ruhani Sharma are the other leads in it. I am also doing a film produced jointly by Prakash Raj and AL Vijay. It is a Telugu-Tamil movie. I am doing the Telugu version of it.
