21 July,2011 10:02 AM IST | | Urmimala Banerjee
While Ram Charan Teja may not be a known name in Bollywood, he is already a superstar down South. Son of veteran Telugu actor and politician Chiranjeevi, Ram has starred in one of the highest grossing Telugu films of recent times, Magadheera. The young actor who is looking for the right break in Bollywood gets talking to CS:
Like father, like son
Dad has always been an inspiration but he is not overtly protective or anything of that sort. He is a self-made man and wants me to be one too. I don't remember him ever advising me on my career. If I am in doubt about a script or role, he is always there to offer his suggestions, but he will never go through my scripts or anything of that sort. Dad wants me to make my own mistakes and learn from them. As the son of superstar, there is always a lot of pressure on you. But when I hear people around me making comparisons or anything of that sort, I try and switch off mentally. That keeps me balanced.u00a0
Politics and me
Yeah, life has changed a bit after dad entered into politics. There is more media scrutiny on you. I try to keep my personal life as private as possible. As you're constantly in the media glare, you have to make sure that you conduct yourself properly in public. Thankfully, I am not a party person per se, so I don't have to worry about getting caught or something of that sort (laughs out loud). However, I do head off for holidays once in a while as they give me the space to be myself. Abroad, I can shop, dine or club without a care in the world.u00a0
On my plateu00a0
I am looking forward to the release of my next Telugu film. It's an out-an-out commercial film. As far as Bollywood is concerned, I am still looking for the right break. Hopefully, I will sign a project in the next few months. I am not choosy about the banner or director; my priority is an interesting script. Once I get that, I'll be ready for my Bollywood debut.
