'My father is my inspiration'

High Expectations

Actor Vishnu Manchu, son of veteran Telugu actor-politician Mohan Babu, grew up watching his father in action — both on and off screen. So, although his father wanted him to be an IPS officer, it isn’t surprising that Vishnu had other plans.

He thought that he would rather play a cop on reel than in real life and strayed into acting instead.

After he completed his engineering in information technology, he convinced his father that he wanted to plunge into acting full time.

Although Vishnu does only one project at a time, he has acted with some of the biggest names and has been directed by the who’s who of the film fraternity.

Vishnu, who was in the City recently to promote his Telugu film Dhenikaina Ready, says, “I have immense regard for the Kannada film industry and the people here. So, it is imperative that I popularise my film here.”

Dhenikaina Ready — meaning ‘I am game for anything’ — is an action-comedy, in which Vishnu plays the role of a young man trying to bring two families together.

“There’s a lot of humour and that character came pretty easily to me because I am a fun-loving guy in real life as well,” he says and adds, “there are loads of action sequences in the film, in which I am expected to perform a couple of risky stunts.

I’ve trained in a Chinese martial art form called Wushu and that came in handy during this film. My discipline really helped me perform the stunts exceptionally well.”

Hansika Motwani plays Vishnu’s love interest in the film. “Hansika always manages to surprise me. She’s full of life and energy,” he adds.

Vishnu’s first film was directed by well-known Malayalam director Shaji Kailas and Vishnu says that he picked up his first lessons in acting from him. “It was Shaji Kailas who told me that I have it in me to become an actor. He gave me the confidence to move on,” he states.

Mohan Babu’s hit film ‘Assembly Rowdy’ (1991) is being remade by Vishnu. “The film by my father was a big hit and I am under tremendous pressure to live up to that expectation.

I play an innocent guy, who lands in jail for no fault of his,” he observes. How does Vishnu handle success at such a young age? “I think success and failure are imposters who don’t stay with you for a long time,” he notes.

Vishnu not only manages a production house but he also has a line of educational institutions under him. Where does he derive the confidence to juggle all these roles to perfection? “My father is my god and my inspiration. I am whatever I am because of him,” he sums up.