'Lucky Lakshman' hits the screens this Friday (December 30). In this interview, Sohel talks about the movie. The Bigg Boss Telugu 5 contestant also says that his upcoming movies like 'Mr. Pregnant', 'Bootcut Balaraju' and 'Organic Mama Hybrid Alludu' are different from each other in terms of genre and content.

Highlights:

It has been a challenge on the personal front to behave like a celebrity. I am not a calculated person. I want to be original always. In interviews and during promotional events, I behave every bit like a commoner! Frankness is misunderstood by many. I am an emotional person who is prone to bursting out if something offensive is said about actors and their family members.

'Lucky Lakshman' is a cute story. Unlike my other films like 'Mr. Pregnant', 'Bootcut Balaraju' and 'Oragnic Mama Hybrid Alludu' (all three are yet to be released), this is a youthful story. It's a story about the well-wishers in our life, be they parents, friends, or a girlfriend. The scenes are slice-of-life.

This is a clean comedy bereft of vulgarity. You can happily watch it with your family. I Andrew's cinematography helped us complete the production in just 28 days. Anup Rubens' music is uncompromising as well. He roped in talented singers. Prawin Pudi, who has worked on many big-ticket movies, edited the movie.

We have done our best. It's up to the audience now. A senior producer, after watching the movie, said that I am safe. Producer Haritha Gogineni garu is releasing 'Lucky Lakshman' on her own. Such is her confidence in the content.

Actors like Sivakarthikeyan, Sushanth Singh Rajput, SRK came from no film background. I want to prove that I can be someone like them in Tollywood. Most of TV artists today wanted to become film actors. If I am doing emotional scenes well in movies, it's because of my TV experience. After using glycerine too much, I am now able to shed tears without needing it (laughs). If I was not capable, I wouldn't have bagged four movies on which crores of rupees are riding.

If some people in the industry are saying that I will become an acclaimed actor, it's because they have been noticing my work. I have to do a raw and rustic, action-heavy role. For that, I have to bulk up.

On Bigg Boss, when Chiranjeevi garu and Nagarjuna garu lauded me in the final episode, it was a special day. It turned out to be a lucky day for me. It's because of their appreciation that I got so much respect after I came out.

Deliberate negativity on social media is hurting. A video clip in which I warned everyone that those who troll me personally will get paid back in the same coin went so viral. It attracted hundreds of comments! A commoner reacts angrily when their parents are abused. I did the same. I can't gloss over my emotions.

My father brought us up and sustained our family despite daunting circumstances. He was working at the Singareni Coal Mines. I almost got into it. Two days before joining the organization, I became a TV serial actor, earning Rs 40K or so per month. Even at 29, I had no proper settlement in life. Yet, my father kept motivating me.

After Bigg Boss, the first film I did was 'Mr. Pregnant'. I spent a year on it. Had it been released in time, it would have fetched me a lot of fame. But that didn't happen because of the delay in its release. I am sure that when it releases, it is surely going to result in a big hit.

Many felt that I should have done a mass film after Bigg Boss. My idea is to be slow and steady. Before a mass outing, I have to do other genres.

When I bagged SV Krishna Reddy garu's film, I couldn't believe it. I listened to the script for 3.5 hours. Even though producers insisted that some well-known actor, the director didn't listen. He told them Sohel alone has to do it.

Even though it has been two years since Bigg Boss was over, people still love me a lot. During the ongoing promotions, people have been showering so much love on me.

Inaya Sultana surely has been crushing on me. But her recent love proposal was like a prank. I have had a crush on Anushka Shetty. If I get to meet her, I will surely propose!

On charity activities:

I believe that charity will always result in blessings coming your way. Before Bigg Boss, my friend's daughter needed to undergo surgery. I collected Rs 3 lakh from my network. My friend was extremely touched by my gesture. In the finale of Bigg Boss, I announced that I would be setting up a charity to donate Rs 10 lakh to orphanages with my prize money. I have been sponsoring the education of the needy and helping them in other ways. Just before Bigg Boss, I would be short of money for needs like fuel for my vehicle. Life changed after it.