In an industry where every second hero is a star kid, Nani carved a niche for himself even without a godfather. An ardent lover of cinema who started off as an assitant director, Nani is now one of the few bankable stars at the box office while the rest of the actors in his league are following the popular formula of four fights and six songs in a movie, this young star defies those rules and is now the most sought after actor for film makers who make cinema with a difference. His latest release 'Ala Modalaindi' which hit the screens last week has evoked huge response from Tollywood reasserting the theory that Nani does movies of a standard.

"In all my movies before, I had to act and emote. In Ala Modalaindi, my charecter is more like me in real life.The film is very different from what I have done before. The director Nandini Reddy is my friend and our comfort level reflects on the screen. She told me the idea and wrote five scenes. She used to share her idea as she was developing the script and I witnessed its evolution. The USP of the film is every youngster connects to the charecter and there is nothing over the top. This is the kind of cinema I would love the watch as audience."

Half a dozen movies old Nani opines that in an attempt to remain safe, a few stars calculate too many factors and second guess what their audience want while chosing their films. He reveals that he always choses scripts that appeal to him irrespective of whether it will work at the box office.

"In an attempt to carefully chose scripts, they calculate too many things. A few actors second guess if the film will work in 'B' and 'C' centres. They brainstorm if the director is bankable, who is the target audience and what content would appeal to that crowd et al. All these calculations don't work and they most often go wrong. Audience come to theatres and they always welcome movies with a difference. The actors must follow their heart and do it if they like it. I always check if the director can handle the subject well and the producer is passionate enough to give the film a decent platform. Beyond that my only checklist is if the film appeals to me or not." Nani quips.

Case in a point is the actor chose to die in the climax of his last film 'Bheemili Kabaddi Jattu', something no hero in Tollywood ever dared to agree to.What made

"In several theatres, women sat weeping even after the curtains went down on that film. Movies are all about made an impact and this film had a huge impact. I want to defy rules because if we follow rules, we will never evolve. I don't believe in rules.In an attempt to break the rules, most of the times, it may go wrong but one day it will work and when it does, it becomes a new 'rule'. Cinema is progressing because someone is breaking the rules and the others are following it.In a true sense, I have done roles of extreme variety. I avoided being typecast. With the versatile films I have done so far, film makers for sure know they can cast me for any kind of role. I would like to be known as an actor than as a hero. I am happy to be where I am today"

This assistant director turned star is debuting in Tamil cinema this year with his film 'Veppam'. The first look of the film has created a sensation of the sorts and is touted as one of the most awaited films this year. Nani says after the first look, directors are approaching him with bi-lingual projects.

"The dynamics are different between Tamil and Telugu cinema. The content of a few films don't suit the sensibilities of our audience. But whenever there are scripts that Telugu and Tamil audience can relate to, I will do a bi-lingual. I didn't chose to do a Tamil film with an intention to expand my market. I liked the subject and hence went ahead with it. Infact I always loved Tamil films for the 'raw' cinema they make. I appreciate the technical standards they apply in making their films. Ever since the first look of Veppam is out, I am being approached for bilinguals. If I am offered a typical commercial movie in Telugu and a script that appeals to me from Tamil, I will always chose the latter as job-satisifaction matters the most to me" the star boldly declares.

Many actors envy Nani for bagging the lead role in ace director S S Rajamouli's project 'Eega'. The actor has raised quit a few eyebrows as he bagged a project with the hit machine director.

"There were rumours that I was doing a Rajamouli film even before I was approached for the project. One day, I was told that he was trying to reach me on a project. He was down to earth and narrated the script to me. Despite being number one director, he described the story in detail and I was very impressed on how grounded he was. I immediately agreed to do it. It is a nice oppurtunity for me to prove myself as an actor and since it is his film, a lot more people will watch my performance as Rajamouli has a huge fan base too. This movie is going to be one of his best films and he is all set to start a new trend in Tollywood" Nani says with confidence.

Apart from his movies, Nani is a hot topic online and for tabloids which hooked him to actor Swati earlier and now to his co-star Nitya Menon.T he actor takes these link-ups with a pinch of salt .

"If I was linked up with Swati or Nitya Menon it only means our onscreen chemistry is good. It works well for my movie. Both of them are my good friends. I am not seeing either of them and all these rumours are baseless" he clarifies.

Watch Video Interview