Avasarala Srinivas became quite a name with his very first film. Refreshing and natural, Srinivas is a nuanced actor. He may not have repeated his Ashta Chamma magic on the screen for many years. But, he is a talented actor with a director's mind and is rearing to go ahead and do some experimentation with roles. He is happy to have worked with the likes of Indraganti Mohan and Vamsi in the recent times.

In a chit-chat with IndiaGlitz, the actor speaks about his latest release Vara Prasad, Potti Prasad, his fascinations and more.

About the film:

The film is about Vara Prasad, played by me, and my partner Potti Prasad, and the travails we undergo because of the villalins. The film tells the story of how we tackle the tricky situations encountered by us.

'Two idiots':

Vara Prasad and Potti Prasad are like two idiots. They work in a dog grooming company and have a dog van. Though they lose their jobs even in the start, the van remains with them. They go on a journey to Kodaikanal. Why they are on the journey and what are the difficulties they face on their trip from Hyderabad to Kodaikanal form the story.

Working with Vijay Sai:

For films like this, it is important that the actors strike rapport. The first day I saw Vijay Sai (who plays Potti Prasad), we became friends. There were days when we would laugh at each other and the shoot would get delayed!

A bit about the story:

The audience response to the story of Vara Prasad has been impressive. An innocent man to begin with, Vara Prasad comes to have some goals at one stage. In the process of realizing his dreams, he encounters one too many obstacles. The way he overcomes them is being enjoyed by one and all.

Journey so far..:

I worked for a small Hollywood project as an Assistant Director, where I took care of everything from making the caravan run to ensuring the daily slogs are functional. That was a good work experience for me. If you ask me, two directorial minds cannot work smoothly. If you trust your director, you will not need to interfere in his work.

Acting had always been my fascination even when I was a child. In college, I used to write theater plays. Later, I moved to the US and learnt script-writing. Further, I joined the Universal Studios and assisted scripting. In the hope of getting opportunities, I sent footage of me to some film websites. I did not get any calls initially, but the makers of Ashta Chamma finally gave me my first break.

Prelude to Ashta Chamma:

I did home work for 2 months before joining the shoot of Ashta Chamma. The script was ready and sent to me. I used to read and reread the script while in the US, and every time I understood a new nuance. It helped me visualise myself in the scenes well.

Working with Nani was good. Like me, he was an assistant director (of Ashta Chamma). He brought his experience, having worked for films like Dhee and Radha Gopalam in the past. We got along really well.

Tryst with Vamsi:

Working with Vamsi in Saradaga Kasepu was a good experience. He has always been one of my favourite Telugu film directors. He is a cinematic director, who uses elements like camera techniques etc. to make the film look beautiful. He is one of the very few cinematic visualizers we have, and unlike dramatic film makers like K Vishwanath and Dasari Narayana Rao. He had shown interest in me after watching Ashta Chamma and even called me up to say that he would work with me. I thought it was not going to happen for a long time, but I suddenly got a call for him. If I get a chance, I will want to work with him again.

Open to experimentation:

So far, I have been getting only comedy roles. Without getting stereotyped and sticking to similar kind of roles, I would like to experiment with different roles. This (experimentation) is not possible when I am the main hero.

Like to be original:

Do I resemble Ramana Reddy in acting and modulation? (He doesn't think so). Cinema industry being a niche field, you will be long-lasting here only if you are original. After people watched Ashta Chamma, they told me that my biggest advantage is that my acting has no reference. (He has settled for that).

Sucess vs failure:

It was a very satisfactory experience to get a nomination for the Best Supporting Actor for the very first film. Though I did not bag the award, it was gratifying.

Success came very easily with Ashta Chamma. I illusioned that things would be quite smooth. But, as it turned out, some flops disappointed me.

Being Tollywood:

I think Telugu industry is making good movies with whatever monies it has got. It should be noted that even blockbusters don’t make as much money as average hits in Bollywood do. Given all the