Director Tharun Bhascker of 'Pelli Choopulu' fame debuts as a hero with 'Meeku Mathrame Cheptha'. Ahead of its release on November 1, he talks about his character in the movie, working with director Shameer Sultan, producer Vijay Deverakonda, his upcoming movies and more.

How it all began

When Vijay (Deverakonda) told me that I will be the hero of the movie, I didn't believe it. This one is not a glamorous role and it demanded me to be what I am. Vijay asked me to shed some weight. Since I didn't want to spoil the film, I shed weight, albeit reluctantly.

An anxious person

My character suffers from anxiety disorder kind of thing in the movie. The director felt that I would be most apt, having watched me in 'Mahanati'. He was a Tamil short filmmaker previously and knows his job. Although Vijay liked the story, he couldn't do it himself.

Privacy under threat

The film comes with unique sensibilities. I am always a keen listener of stories. The debutant has brought in new things to the table. Social media has made our privacy vulnerable. We are living in an age where we post an update on Facebook when we buy underwear. The film touches upon these aspects. There is an element of cybercrime as well. Female characters are written merely as glam props in our movies. But this film gives respect to women.

Doing many things

I am not obsessed about doing just one thing. Doing other things like editing and acting will be a sort of learning. My first love is direction. It's very tiring to participate in promotions. I had to work a lot to promote 'Pelli Choopulu'. It's taxing to be an actor.

Colloquial dialogue

I have translated the dialogues written by the director in Telugu. He had written them in Tamil. I ensured that nativity is there in the lines that the characters speak in the movie. The language is colloquial.

Making wife & mother happy

I was always an introvert, and used to have stage fear. Shedding one's inhibitions itself is a big victory. People don't reveal their acting dreams fearing that others might laugh at them. Once we overcome our fears, it's like we have got personal victory in life. My mother is genuinely happy that I have played a hero. She has a Saraswati Devi's key chain and held on to it tightly while watching the movie. My wife didn't speak to me for days when I told her I would be the male lead, as she was scared because I would get all the focus as a male lead. She has worked on my costumes for this movie.

VD is a creative producer

Vijay makes beautiful choices as a producer. He is creative and spot-on as a producer and when it comes to promotions. His suggestions are valuable and is clear about how much he should involve himself in a film. He will go a long way if he continues like this.

Upcoming movies

'Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi' was made at Rs 2 Cr and went on to gross Rs 15 Cr. It was a big hit. You can't compare everything with 'Pelli Choopulu'. Not every film will be a billion rupee movie, you see.

I am very happy that Venkatesh garu is doing 'Asuran' remake. His 75th film will be with me. I have some stories ready for Vijay. He is not a newcomer now. His talent has to be utilized carefully now. I am doing 'Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi-2' as a web series. A couple of others are also on the anvil. When you are doing a web series, the canvas changes. The writing standard is different here because there is no middle and end in a defined way. A character might die and a new character might come along.