Ahead of the release of 'Brand Babu' on August 3, its hero Sumanth Shailendra talks about the subject, how he landed the opportunity to debut in Telugu, his favourite actors and more.  

It's a Maruthi-mark movie

Everybody uses some brand or the other.  Everybody has a streak of brand-consciousness in them.  That's why I have chosen an inherently relatable story.  This is a true-blue Maruthi-style movie.  I have played a character who is brand-obsessed.  He is very rich.  He is peculiar.  He interacts only with those who use branded products.  Such a guy falls in love with a poor girl (played by Eesha Rebba).  In real life, I am a down to earth person.  

That's why Prabhakar

I had been requesting Maruthi garu to make a movie with me for 2-3 years.  On a day, he called me up and told me Prabhakar garu will direct my Telugu debut and that he himself would be writing the script for it.  'Brand Babu' is the kind of film where every scene has traces of comedy.  

Director Prabhakar garu is an all-rounder.  He has vast experience as a maker of TV serials.  I must say he has made an out-and-out entertainer.  'Brand Babu' will impress all sections of audience.  This is a screenplay-based movie.  

Telugu market is huge

In Telugu, the audience value films a lot and see watching a movie as a celebration.  The market is huge.  The audience that Telugu industry has got is incomparable  They have always encouraged refreshing movies.

About my father

My father has been making movies in Kannada for the past 20 years.  He has made films with star heroes over there.  It was he who remade the Kannada version of 'Seethamma Vakitlo Sirimalle Chettu'.  He wanted me to debut in an industry like Tollywood, given the market and the audience's interest.

An actor should try everything

The audience's tastes keep changing every 4-5 years.  Sometimes, they are after mass films, sometimes they like horror movies more.  An actor should be ready to do all kinds of films.  

The inspiration:

I didn't have an interest in acting early on.  I was in Mysore when I happened to witness the shooting of an Upendra sir movie.  Witnessing the kind of respect he commanded from people on the sets, I wanted to become an actor.  If you want to earn the respect of people, you have to be either in politics or cinema.  I have chosen the latter.  I was in Degree final year when I decided to become an actor.  My father got me trained in acting, dancing and dialogue-delivery.  I trained in dance, fights and gymnastics in Mumbai.  My father is a senior producer.  He has been unblemished.  

I didn't want to debut in Telugu with a bilingual.  It's because Kannada-Telugu bilinguals haven't had a good track record.  

Favourites in Tollywood

I am inspired by Allu Arjun garu.  I was inspired upon watching his movie, 'Arya'.  I have met him twice in recent times.  I am close to his brother, Allu Sirish.  I enjoy watching the movies of NTR and Mahesh Babu, too.