<p>Naveen Polishetty is Telugu cinema’s latest sensation. The actor’s third big film ‘Jathi Ratnalu’, directed by Anudeep KV, has got the box office ringing. Beneath Naveen’s rise to fame lies an inspiring story. </p>.<p>Naveen quit an engineering job in London to pursue acting and first got noticed in the Telugu comedy-drama ‘Life Is Beautiful’ (2012). Sporting a hairstyle that today’s teenagers might reject, he played an arrogant and affluent young man called Rakesh. He was just a tiny bit in a large ensemble cast.</p>.<p>In ‘D for Dopidi’ (2013), a heist comedy, he starred as a down-and-out 20-something. Again, he was cast in an ensemble. But this time he was seen a little longer, as the story was about four men aiming to solve their problems by robbing a bank.</p>.<p>He continued to lurk in the background. Though he bagged a role in the Mahesh Babu starrer, ‘1: Nenokkadine’ (2014), he was still an outsider. He got a big fillip when he joined hands with the YouTube channel All India Bakchod. He featured in many of their Hinglish sketches and gained popularity. Even as he won plaudits for his 10-minute videos, acting in films remained his dream. </p>.<p>Naveen broke through with Swaroop RSJ-directorial ‘Agent Sai Srinivasa Athreya’ in 2019. He wrote the screenplay and played the protagonist. He must have been inspired by portrayals of Sherlock Holmes in British productions. But there was more to this titular Agent than met the eye. He was more a bumbling Charlie Chaplin than a tough detective. The film became a blockbuster hit. </p>.<p>Naveen acts as though it is his duty to make viewers laugh. He comes across as the boy next door always seen with a smile. He maintains a kiddish smile in his interviews, too.</p>.<p>In his latest release, ‘Jathi Ratnalu’, he plays Srikanth, a small-town boy who dreams of living in a big city. Whenever Srikanth talks to his friends (Priyadarshi and Rahul Ramakrishna), he goes on a verbal rampage. They are mostly sharing inside jokes, but we love their world as it is hilarious.</p>.<p>Naveen aced the Bollywood test with his maiden venture ‘Chhichhore’. Starring Sushant Singh Rajput, it was a runaway hit. His character, Acid, is prone to swearing. Naveen is convincing. Perhaps YouTube showed him the way.</p>.<p>Today, Naveen has fans from across India. It is arguable whether he would have earned so many fans without first sharpening his skills in video sketches, but now that he has become a star, he is all set for a long run in cinema.</p>.<p><em>(The writer is a Bengaluru-based film critic).</em></p>
<p>Naveen Polishetty is Telugu cinema’s latest sensation. The actor’s third big film ‘Jathi Ratnalu’, directed by Anudeep KV, has got the box office ringing. Beneath Naveen’s rise to fame lies an inspiring story. </p>.<p>Naveen quit an engineering job in London to pursue acting and first got noticed in the Telugu comedy-drama ‘Life Is Beautiful’ (2012). Sporting a hairstyle that today’s teenagers might reject, he played an arrogant and affluent young man called Rakesh. He was just a tiny bit in a large ensemble cast.</p>.<p>In ‘D for Dopidi’ (2013), a heist comedy, he starred as a down-and-out 20-something. Again, he was cast in an ensemble. But this time he was seen a little longer, as the story was about four men aiming to solve their problems by robbing a bank.</p>.<p>He continued to lurk in the background. Though he bagged a role in the Mahesh Babu starrer, ‘1: Nenokkadine’ (2014), he was still an outsider. He got a big fillip when he joined hands with the YouTube channel All India Bakchod. He featured in many of their Hinglish sketches and gained popularity. Even as he won plaudits for his 10-minute videos, acting in films remained his dream. </p>.<p>Naveen broke through with Swaroop RSJ-directorial ‘Agent Sai Srinivasa Athreya’ in 2019. He wrote the screenplay and played the protagonist. He must have been inspired by portrayals of Sherlock Holmes in British productions. But there was more to this titular Agent than met the eye. He was more a bumbling Charlie Chaplin than a tough detective. The film became a blockbuster hit. </p>.<p>Naveen acts as though it is his duty to make viewers laugh. He comes across as the boy next door always seen with a smile. He maintains a kiddish smile in his interviews, too.</p>.<p>In his latest release, ‘Jathi Ratnalu’, he plays Srikanth, a small-town boy who dreams of living in a big city. Whenever Srikanth talks to his friends (Priyadarshi and Rahul Ramakrishna), he goes on a verbal rampage. They are mostly sharing inside jokes, but we love their world as it is hilarious.</p>.<p>Naveen aced the Bollywood test with his maiden venture ‘Chhichhore’. Starring Sushant Singh Rajput, it was a runaway hit. His character, Acid, is prone to swearing. Naveen is convincing. Perhaps YouTube showed him the way.</p>.<p>Today, Naveen has fans from across India. It is arguable whether he would have earned so many fans without first sharpening his skills in video sketches, but now that he has become a star, he is all set for a long run in cinema.</p>.<p><em>(The writer is a Bengaluru-based film critic).</em></p>